The Old World Gives Way
by avrjoe
Summary: The Story of how the Dragon Blooded Terrestrial Exalted came to appear in the Shard of Darkness fan fic universe. They are given the in universe name Manifested for the sudden manifestations of elemental about around them when they Exalt. This story follows some of the early Dragon Blooded as they seek to find their way in a world ill prepared for them.
1. Chapter 1

January 31st, 2012

Dark Side of the Moon Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

Claus Rayner strode through the corridors of the Lunar Base with a confident smile on his face. Rayner had one of those faces where it was difficult, at first glance, to determine his approximate age. In his civilian identity as a billionaire computer software magnate his 'official' age was listed as 68 years old. However, his bright blue eyes were often filled with a youthful twinkle when he was in a fine mood (as he was now). This made him look younger while his white hair made him look older.

In truth Augustin Claus-Werner von Rayner was 176 years old. He was now the eldest living will worker left on planet Earth. The fact he had not, as of yet, been forced to flee the Paradox effect created by the sea of humanity's disbelief in the power of science was partly thanks to the slow crumbling of that wall over the last eight years. Still, he knew he was close to the edge of his time left on Earth. Someone his age grated on the established paradigm, and the Paradox it generated had begun to slowly weigh on him. However, here, in this place, it was lessened significantly. It was the decrease in Paradox pressure brought by this trip that put him in such a fine mood, despite the nature of his meeting.

Rayner came to the door of the communications room. He stopped and waited. A feminine computer voice called out to him. "Incoming transmission from Planet Autochthon. Please hold."

Rayner's smile faded. It was time to put on his serious face. Even with as out of touch and far from the front lines of the War of Belief as the old fossils were, they were no less powerful. He might be the greatest remaining will worker on Earth, but they were the greatest surviving members of the Order. He thought it too bad they were all so distant and removed from the true state of the world.

"Transmission ready. Proceed." The computer voice said as the door opened.

Inside he found a board room table, although there was no one actually present. Instead, waiting on him were holo projections of lifelike quality of the small elite.

"Ahh! Augustin...or are you still going by Claus?" The Chief Control asked.

"Still going by Claus, one of the benefits of increased mudane longevity. It lessens the frequency with which one has to abandon identities." Claus said cheerfully.

"This isn't a social call. Let us come to order." The Form Keeper said abruptly.

"Yes, yes, I suppose so." The Chief admitted.

"As I understand, this meeting is a review of policy to help us plan the steps to take in order to shape the next course of Earthly events." Claus began.

"Indeed it is. We have much to review. Some wished to rehash the Orpheus incidents, but that has been detailed ad nauseum." The Chief commented.

"I believe you will find the seeds of our present troubles harken back further than these Manifested. The cracks in the walls of disbelief we erected around magic and deviance from reality were directly weakened by the events of..." A dissenting voice began.

The Chief cut in testily. "Yes, yes, yes! This has all been debated before and we are done with it! Done I say! Besides, it's well past the time for such recriminations." He countered.

"Indeed and it has had certain positive effects as well." Claus stated cheerfully.

"Psionic phenomena are not consistent with the rest of Technocratic doctrine!" The Dissenter cried in protest.

"It has been declared so and so it stands. You're out of line. Now, unless anyone else wishes to make a fool of themselves, let us proceed. This review is to determine our response to these Manifested beings. They are public figures wielding powers that we can _barely_ fold under the psionic phenomena heading. They continue to push back at all constraints we have placed on them in numerous nations. With the start of the legislative session in the United States of America, the governing body of that nation will be working to set laws to govern the lives of these beings. As it is the most powerful military nation in the world and one of the chief recruiters of the Manifested it will set the tone for how the world consensus shapes up." The Chief declared.

"Well, if we can begin the presentation, you will see this all started in 2008. The first known manifestations occurred very early in that year. Panopticon forces devoted to rounding up reality deviants collected them in their nets and deposited them for study into the hands of shell organizations under our control." Claus began as he loaded data and footage from one of these centers in Virginia.

* * *

February 14th, 2008

Special Projects Center, Virginia USA

* * *

Director Carl Winsor's head shot up as he heard the blaring of alarms. He leapt up from his chair and exited his office, heading for the command center. He walked at a brisk pace down the hall. He knew it would never do for the director of a facility such as this to appear rushed or panicked. Morale, after all, had to be maintained. He entered the command center and stepped into the center of the room.

"Status?" He barked.

"Internal security is reporting a breach on sub level three, sir. Patrol six was found dead in an air vent. We are trying to isolate the current location of the cause." The communication desk worker reported.

"You don't know the whereabouts of the intruder? How is that possible? John, when was that guard's last communiqué? He should not have gone more than fifteen minutes without a check in!" Carl pointed out, annoyed.

"We are dealing with something very dangerous, Carl. The fact something was able to slip past the three miles of land between us and the nearest unwatched area is surprising enough. Coupled with the fact that whoever this is made it inside the building is downright scary. We need to evacuate the upper levels and send in the heavy firepower." Assistant John Dugen advised.

"Let's not panic here, John. Let's find out what we're dealing with first. Why don't we have video of that area up?" Carl replied, looking at the large overhead monitor. It currently displayed static.

"The camera system was down for maintenance in that sector. We're trying to bring it back up." The video control officer reported.

Carl gave orders for search parameters and reports from the corresponding security teams came streaming in; he wanted each one scrutinized for even the smallest thing out of place. However, each supposed 'red flag' found proved to have mundane causes or to be of no consequence. Carl was becoming frustrated when his train of thought was interrupted.

"Sir! Team eight just missed reporting in and they're not answering our calls for an update." The communications officer reported.

"Team eight? That's on the other side of the building!" Carl said through gritted teeth.

John began cross referencing data, looking for a pattern. Finding one he turned to the coordinators.

"Check the tapes for the last several reports from team five and verify their voices against calls from yesterday to see if the vocal recognition matches. I have a feeling someone took out team five some time ago and has been imitating their voices while listening to our radio chatter. Everyone beware. Our communications may not be secure." John ordered.

"Clever. You two! Run out to the guard shacks. Tell them to switch their radios to channel four and activate encryption B. They are to then move forward in a search pattern. As they find other security groups they are to order them to make the same changes." Carl directed.

"Leave a few radios in each group unchanged and make some chatter on them to distract the attackers with falsified information." John amended.

"Good call, John. Let's give back some of the confusion whoever this is has been trying to dump on us. Get special weapons prepped. We might need them after all." Carl told his subordinates.

Just as he finished speaking, a slight tremor ran through the room. The lights flickered briefly. The officer stationed at the maintenance terminal turned around and, with rising panic in his voice, reported. "Sir! We've been bombed! Some sort of charges on the back up generators! All four of them!"

"Why attack the back ups and not take out the mains? Whoever this is must have placed their charges out of sync. They've made a mistake. Send men to check the main power connections. Let's cut him off at the pass before his explosives take out the mains." Carl ordered.

The men began to carry out their director's orders. While the orders were being relaid on the new communications channels, stronger tremors ran through the room. The illumination in the command center dimmed to emergency lighting. The officer at the maintenance terminal cursed as he began checking his screens. The communications officer began calling for reports from all teams and attempting to locate the new explosions.

"The timing of that can't be coincidence. What the hell did they do? That was timed perfectly so when we started looking they went off." John asked in a bewildered tone.

"I don't know, but it's started to piss me off." Carl replied.

"Sir, the power being cut to the cameras while they were downloading an update package has screwed up their programming. None of them are responding." The maintenance officer reported.

"Why didn't they stop the update when the power was cut? They're supposed to stop and come to a regular shutdown when we have power loss." Carl asked.

"They do that when they lose main power and are forced onto the back up, sir, but the backups were taken out first. They are not programmed to do anything special when they're still running on the mains." The maintenance officer reported.

"All of the outer teams are reporting heavy damage across the building and among their personnel. They are trying to figure out what is setting these charges off, but they seem to be some sort of smart explosives that only trigger when a guard patrol is close. All teams are maintaining constant contact but the explosive traps are making it hard for them to get much information to us. They..." The communications officer began.

John cut him off. "Tell them all to STOP communications at once! They are to gather at their assigned stations and remain there until relieved. They are to maintain radio silence. In fact, order them to turn off everything, even their passive radios!" He ordered with dawning realization as to the source of the problem.

"Our own radios. Changing frequency when compromised is standard operating procedure. Whoever this is knows our playbook. We have to change tactics." Carl pondered.

"Without communications that will be hard, Carl." John commented neutrally.

"You! Go down to the special weapons hold. Get the quartermaster to get the lead out on bringing them up. Tell the guards it's time for a live test fire scenario. Half of them are to surround the ground floor. Nothing is to escape this building. The other half are to join the hunt. Their mission is a seek and destroy on sub-level four. Order them to herd from the stairs to the entrance to sub-level five." Carl ordered.

"You're likely right. Whoever this is almost undoubtedly after the highest security labs and holding cells. It's likely this is one of _them_. One of these Manifestations." John said.

"Special weapons can handle it." Carl said smugly.

"Sir, with all due respect, the special weapons unit takes on these freaks when they are new to their powers and most are civilians. This has the hallmarks of a trained and talented agent. They won't be able to handle this." John lamented.

"John, let's not get melodramatic. Whether this is a team or a singular powerful individual we have enough guards to bury them." Carl said.

Soon reports started coming back by messenger of a running fight taking place in the halls; a deadly one. For all the target's stealth and combat ability, however, soon twenty guards had what proved to be a single foe trapped in a corridor.

"Switch to capture weapons. Take the target alive. I want to know who this guy is working for." Carl ordered, his rage abating as his more rational mind once again took charge.

"We can take them to the interrogation room on level sub level five." John suggested.

"Good Idea. I'm going down there to prep for interrogation. John, you have control here. Once this scumbag is in custody, have everyone sweep the building. Find and then disarm his explosives." Carl ordered as he headed out.

John looked around at the command room. No video. No audio. It was almost worthless. He quickly came to a decision.

"We're relocating. We've been reduced to operating by runners. We might as well do so outside in case the emergency batteries start to go."

* * *

Sub Level Five Interrogation Room

* * *

Carl watched through the one way glass as the elite special weapons unit brought in the cause of all the mornings chaos. A scanning device hummed quietly in the window, taking readings from the subject. He was enormous; definitely one of the Earth type of these Manifested freaks. He was tall; Carl estimated him to be about seven foot eight inches. Even sitting, he could almost look his interrogator in the eye. However, rather than the gangly look of most very tall people, he had huge, wide shoulders with a deep, powerful chest which gave a striking "V" shaped torso. He also sported thick legs and massive arms. The arms were perhaps the most impressive. His mountainous biceps, half hidden underneath his black, short sleeved tactical vest, looked as if they might burst the sleeves at any moment they were so large. However, it was his flesh that was most distinctive. The prisoner's skin had the look of highly polished, sandy marble. Watching it move and flex was remarkable, it looked like it should be rigid, but the skin was supple as any man's. The intruder's face was clean shaven and his shoulder length, white hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Most of his body armor had been removed and the guards had striped him of the myriad of pouches and weapons he had concealed about his person.

The face recognition program in the scanner chimed and brought up a file. The file that came up was correct, only the subject's proportions and physical characteristics were different. Carl tapped a button and told the database to update itself. While still massive in the database's files, the prisoner was larger now. He was taller than his file indicated and he had increased in muscle mass, which inflated him to his current prodigious proportions. The file indicated that the subject's flesh should have been normal caucasian and his hair should have been blonde, not almost white. Only the blue eyes were the same. No doubt these physical changes were a symptom of the powers he now wielded. Carl looked at the dossier, focusing on the history of this man as he made his way around to the interrogation room door. There was only one entryway, for security. He made sure to have two of the special weapons teams in with him to watch over this thing. Stepping into the room, Carl sat down across from the heavily chained giant.

"So, Kai Silbern; formerly Austrian military. Mercenary. Known terrorist. You have a very lengthy file for a man that's just barely thirty years old. It says here you've even worked for us before. Nothing in here, however, describes you as having become one of these monsters. Now do you want to tell us what you're doing and who you are working for?"

Kai gave him a withering stare. Saying nothing.

"Right, well, let's do this the hard way." Carl gave the man to his left a nod. The man walked over and gave Kai an injection in the neck.

Kai's jaw locked. His eyes narrowed and the veins on his thick neck stood out.

"While there is still no _actual _truth serum you would be surprised by what science can do in the area of lowering inhibitions and clouding judgement. Now, just give it a few minutes and we'll continue." Carl walked over to the door and spoke to someone outside.

"Bring a coffee; no cream, extra sugar." Carl ordered before he came to back to his seat.

"You are a bit overweight. I would cut back on the sugar." Kai offered, finally speaking in a slightly slurred tone, an Austrian accent creeping into his near perfect English.

"Oh really? You're one to talk." Carl said, looking down at his updated dossier. "According to my new data you're up to 630 pounds; 634.65 to be exact. That's hefty even for someone your size, so tell me more mister nutritionist."

"I would worry more about myself if I were you. I am in perfect shape. My body is all muscle, which is much heavier than fat. I assure you, unlike bodybuilders, this is not for show. You, on the other hand, work a desk job. You need to get with an exercise program that focuses on cardiovascular health. Stressful jobs like yours have been known to kill people." Kai volunteered in a somewhat condescending tone. He was acting as if the pair were having a polite chat about nutrition instead of an interrogation.

"So, how did you gain so much information about this place?" Carl inquired, changing the subject.

"Most of it was in my information package when I took the job. Part of why I accepted was the excellent intelligence provided. It gave me a good indication that I was working for professionals. I cannot stand working with amateurs." Kai explained.

"Neither can I. So, were there any indications in the intelligence package of who you were working for?" Carl asked again.

"Not directly, no. There were definitely several clues that my employer was part of a high quality organization. The intelligence alone speaks of a major power. That and the interest in those like me that you have captured on this level..." Kai stopped. He looked around, as if noticing his surroundings for the first time. "This is the fifth level where you keep the Manifested is it not?" Kai asked perplexed.

"Indeed it is my friend. Don't worry about that. You're in the right place just where you want to be. Now just calm down and think about the intelligence. Who sent it to you? Try to remember any details that might be clues." Carl said in a calm voice.

"Right." Kai said. He seemed slightly out of sorts, no doubt due to the drug. "There was no hard proof, but I think it was the Chinese. They have the intelligence capabilities to gain the information. They have the interest in the subject matter. They also possess the professionalism needed to organize it in such a concise package. They are the most likely organizers. If it was not them you might want to look into the Indians." Kai said.

"Not the Russians? They have these intelligence capabilities. This level of organization. This sort of established roots in spying on American interests." Carl inquired

"Americans. Always eager to point at Russia. No, the Russians are not interested in stealing your subject." Kai explained.

"Subjects? You aren't here to steal the research?" Carl asked perplexed.

"One subject. Terra Alani. The doctor. I am here to capture her and deliver her to my contacts. As an aside, the Russians would never want your research. They are so far ahead of you in psionic weapons the very idea that they would want what you have is rather funny." Kai said breaking into a bellowing laugh that seemed to shake the walls of the room.

"I don't think I'd be laughing if I were you. Your mission's a wash, we have you captured and you have to help us if you want to get out of this, Kai, now focus." Carl ordered getting, slightly annoyed at the drugged Austrian.

"I am sorry. It is just humorous to me. You are collecting all this information you will never be able to use. You still will not be able to find me once I get Doctor Alani out of here." Kai said a tear of mirth slipping from his eye.

"Friend, that is the most amusing thing I've ever heard during an interrogation. We have you beaten and cuffed with chains that would hold back an elephant. You're in the bottom of a bunker deep underground and I highly doubt anyone knows you're here. You are about as deep in the shit as you can get, pal. I'd love to hear exactly what you think is going to happen now." Carl said with confidence.

"It is simple. I am going to grab you by the neck and slam your face into the table, breaking your nose. I will, at the same time, shove the chair I am sitting in with my leg into the guard in the corner while diving under the table. I will come up striking that other guard and break his neck. Then I will grab you and exit that door, using you as a human shield. We will make our way to Doctor Alani's cell. Along the way I will kill all of your elite guards that get in our path and I will unlock her cell with your palm. Even if the guards shoot you, your body should still have enough warmth for it to recognize body heat. Then I will leave and no one will ever find me or the Doctor." Kai explained.

"You didn't tell me how you were going to get out of the chair to begin with? You're chained down to it with electronically activated and monitored cuffs." Carl said smugly.

"You mean these? Your electronics are offline. I made sure of that. Plus, I broke them when I faked that fit when your guard injected me." Kai explained. He held up the broken cuffs in his hand.

Carl had about three seconds to stare dumbfounded. He then felt a sudden impact as a hand pushed him down into the desk. Pain blossomed across his face and the warm gush of his own blood flowed down his face.

Kai, good to his word, dived under the table as he hooked the chair he had previously been sitting in with his boot and hurled it at the guard to his immediate right. This did no damage to the guard, but he dodged reflexively. This put him out of place so he couldn't fire at Kai as he ducked under the table without hitting the director. Before the guard on the other side could react, Kai shot up out from under the table, his bulk over turning it with ease, flipping the stunned director onto the floor and pinning him under the table. As he rose, the gigantic Austrian grabbed the second guard by the belt and head. With the guard's head in one massive hand, Kai snapped his neck and, utilizing his momentum, hurled the dead guard over his shoulder and tossed him into the first guard.

Kai seized the dead guard's fallen sub machine gun and stepped over to his live companion who was struggling to get up. He shot him in the face.

"You'll never get out of here alive. Throw down the gun and I can make a deal." Carl said unsteadily attempting to stand.

Kai struck hard into the director's arm. Carl felt the bone snap. He bellowed out a scream of sheer agony.

"Quiet. You are not in control of this situation. Your kind amuse me. You stand about thinking you are the masters of all you see before you because you have command of better men. I am what you all should go to bed dreading. I have all the skill and power of those who you enslave with the chains of duty and the rules of civilization. I, however, see through the illusions you use to blind them. I see you for what you are; weakling cowards. Sheep that hide behind lions. You disgust me." Kai said ferociously as he took the director in hand and ripped his key card from his side, using it to open the door then thrust him outside.

Carl staggered out into the hall. He saw the four other guards he left in the observation room racing towards him. He fell to the floor to give them a line of fire at the man behind him. Kai was one step ahead of him once again, however. Bullets from Kai's gun whized over Carl's head as he fell and slammed into the guards at eye level. The bulletproof outfits and helms deflected the shots but their natural human reactions caused them to flinch and turn from the attack.

Before they could get off more than fire a few wild shots, Kai was upon them. Using his free off hand, he shattered windpipes and broke bones. His right hand followed up, firing point blank bursts into the bullet resistant faceplates. This overwhelmed their protection and quickly the guards fell.

Carl started to stand looking for a place to run. The only way he could go was toward Kai or back into the interrogation room. He started to run back the way he came. He made it three steps before Kai's enormous fingers closed around his neck and dragged him along.

"If you have not figured it out, you were not interrogating me. I was interrogating you. You see, the intelligence on this level was lacking. The airlock double vault door was the limit of where the information I received penetrated. Luckily for me, you were as easily manipulated as a child seeking candy." Kai boasted.

"You _can't_ have known all of that!" Carl exclaimed.

"Denial is the first stage of grief. You grieve because you know you will die this day." Kai said as he jerked Carl in front of him. The six other members of the special weapons team were ahead. Several shots winged Carl as they sought to fire around him and hit the massive man behind him.

Kai fired back with deadly aim. The soft click of an empty magazine rang out. He coolly tossed depleted guns and clips away as he continued to advance. Small motes of power began to swirl around him as he moved down the hall. That power then exploded out from him in a dazzling aura of white light. In the light was imagery of mountains rising from nothing then crashing like waves in titanic avalanches. The aura swelled outward, suffusing Kai and illuminating the polished gloss of his stone-like skin. Bullets struck him clearly targeting where his armor was already ripped and torn from the previous fighting. The bullets harmlessly ricocheted off his skin. The guards, confused and intimidated, began to give ground. Kai, sensing their fear, charged forward, taking advantage. As he ran, he reached up and wrenched a sprinkler pipe free from the ceiling. Water cascaded down, showering the massive man. His long legs ensured that he could move faster than the guards could walk backwards. He caught up to the retreating guards and savaged them with the pipe; the impact of the blows were occasionally punctuated by the snapping of bones.

"How the hell!? You _can't_ be bulletproof! That's impossible!" Carl cried out in disbelief.

"Anger is the second stage." Kai intoned as he back peddled from the beaten pile of guards and pulled Carl up, tossing him over his shoulder. Carl began to struggle but Kai moved his hand to Carl's broken arm. His vise-like fingers dug into a cluster of nerves, sending waves of pain through Carl's body. He stopped fighting, eager to get the pain to stop. Kai then lazily pulled a fresh gun from the pile of guards with his free hand.

"Alright, look, I'll cooperate. Just stop shooting everyone. Let me speak to them. I'll tell them to pull back." Carl offered.

"On to stage three already? Bargaining will not save you. You have no leverage." Kai stated, bemused.

With the special weapons team slain, Kai advanced through the corridors unchecked. He came to the door he was seeking.

"Open it." Kai ordered.

"What guarantee do I have if I do you won't kill me?" Carl asked.

Kai twisted and wrenched Carl's broken arm.

"You have my guarantee that if you open it I will kill you cleanly, that if you do not I will make your pain and suffering a monument to torment and cruelty." Kai promised.

Sobbing, Carl put his palm on the pad. It clicked softly and unlocked.

"Good boy. Tell you what, you can go." Kai said.

"Wh-what?" Carl asked, dumbfounded.

"Go on. Go. I do not need you anymore. You are too worthless for me to fear. Your career is ruined. Your life will be filled with the nightmares of what you have seen. Go on. Live the life of a cowardly worm who only sought to keep his skin. It is punishment enough." Kai said dispassionately as he started to open the door.

Carl, for a second, thought about trying to assault his captor, instead, he ran as fast as he could.

Kai turned back to the door and opened it. Inside was his target: Doctor Terra Alani. She was not the frumpy, laboratory cloistered scientist Kai had expected. Terra Alani, although haggard and tired looking, was an incredibly beautiful woman. She rose from the simple bench in her cell, her round face meeting Kai's angular one. She looked up at him with vivid green eyes. They seemed to be boring into him. She was not tall. On the contrary, Kai estimated her height to be just over five feet. Through her simple prisoner's clothes, Kai could make out her body's shape and it was one that gave even the hard bitten mercenary pause. Terra possessed a near perfect hourglass shape with womanly curves rarely seen outside of fertility deities; wide hips and firm, full breasts. Her flawless tanned islander's skin and long, deep brown hair that she let cascade down her back to her waist added to her allure. Like Kai, manifestation had changed her physically. Where Kai's skin was marbled, Terra had a riot of colorful tropical flowers adorning her thick wavy hair. They were seamlessly interwoven with her tresses, however, the flowers appeared somewhat wilted. Silken petals littered the floor. It was as if the blossoms reflected Terra's haggard state. There was a pleasant, almost heady floral aroma that assaulted his senses as he stepped into the room, no doubt from the doctor's floral adornments.

"Doctor Alani? My name is Kai. I am here to extract you from this place. Come with me and keep a low profile. There might be trouble on the way out." Kai instructed her.

"What about the others? There are several more of us here we can't leave them! You don't know what they've been doing here! The things they've been doing to them!" Terra exclaimed.

"We must travel fast and light. It will be hard enough to get you out of here. Come." Kai ordered.

"You can't just leave them! At least let them out! Give them a fighting chance." Terra exclaimed in an almost pleading tone.

Kai thought, pondering his options. Normally, he would have never done such a thing. Any value these other prisoners might have as a distraction would be minimal, especially as they were little more than unarmed incompetents. He was also certain the remainder of the guards would be organizing to try to stop him from escaping.

Something, however, tugged at Kai. It was something other than his normal rational judgements. He was trying to determine what these feelings were. He had long learned to listen to his instincts. This time was different; his instincts and reason were at odds. Ideas and feelings that had no basis in reality came unbidden into his brain. Specifically; the sense that anyone who had such powers such as he wouldn't be a liability. Warring with this thought was the knowledge they had been captured in the first place. Any powers that these others might have, he reasoned further, were most likely outside the narrow speciality that would be required to actually be of use. Despite this, a feeling of kinship to these unknown people tugged on him. That was what was most bizzare. A feeling of us versus them. His mercenary inclinations told him to fight that feeling. There was no _US._ Only himself.

Unfortunately, he was also sure the woman would be difficult if he declined to free the others. He had never been one to give into the will of those around him for the sake of ease. He reveled in any challenge, and proving one's strength of will was no different from any other contest. As such, it was not simply a contest of his will versus hers that bothered Kai. It was the attraction. An intense sexual attraction hammered at him. This was the first time he'd encountered another of his kind. He had always regarded sex as a mere physical need like eating. Something to be indulged when the time was right and suppressed when inconvenient. This pull was strong. It was stronger than the hunger he'd felt when going days without food. It felt more akin to the need provoked when deprived of oxygen. The professional part of his mind regarded this feeling of need with disdain.

"If I let them out will you do exactly as I say until we part company? No questions no further demands?" Kai found himself asking.

The naysaying part of his mind screamed in fury and betrayal. This was a very bad idea. He knew it was going to be.

"Yes! Just please let them go!" Terra pleaded.

Kai examined the door. Now that he could see the inside he knew how it was held together. With a sigh of regret that he let the director go, he rushed to the nearest fire box and broke it open. He pulled out the axe that was contained inside and returned. With a tremendous heave, he broke open the first of the four remaining doors.

The woman inside was quite unlike Terra. She was taller and lithe. Her skin had a slight bluish tinge and a breeze played with her long brown hair. Her eyes were a cool light blue. She was in the very back of the cell braced to see what came through.

"OUT! This is going to take too long as it is, so do not make trouble." Kai ordered.

Another jolt of lust hit him. It was weaker and less intense than when he first laid eyes on Terra, but still it was there. He didn't care for that one bit. His body and physical needs were slaves to his will and drive to succeed. For it to be the other way around would be unthinkable. He scorned such weakness in other men.

"Wait! If you are trying to get us out of here I think I can help! You unlocked that other door the way they do, right?" The woman asked.

"Mostly, yes." Kai admitted.

"Good. Break that panel and pull the cables out." She instructed.

The woman sat at the guard's computer station and began to type.

Kai shrugged and decided to give it a chance. With a slam from the blunt end of the fire axe, he broke open the panel and pulled out the wires.

"I'm going to copy the state of that door to the other doors, that way their programming tells them they all have been opened." She explained.

"So long as you can do it quickly." Kai said frowning.

"It should be much faster than breaking them down." The woman explained.

The computer did work quickly. The other doors began to open. They revealed three more women. One had orange eyes and bronze skin. Her facial features indicated she was likely of Native American heritage. The next was African American. Her skin and hair appeared damp with dark blue highlights. The last was a sandy brown girl with classic caucasian features. Each, again, sent a shiver of lust through Kai who struggled to channel the emotion away in annoyance.

"Stay out of my way. You can follow behind me until we break away from the walls of this place. Each of you is to go a separate direction. You are not to follow Doctor Alani and myself. If you do, I will kill you myself." He threatened, despite the severe doubt in his mind that he would be able to actually bring himself to harm any of these women. It was another disquieting change in his normally ruthless behavior.

"If luck is with you, they will be unable to give chase. By the time reinforcements arrive, you will be far away. Stay out of the cities. Stealth will be your ally. Do not go anywhere you have been before or meet anyone you know. They will find you. This is all the advice I have time to give you." Kai snapped while stalking back out.

The women followed Kai through the compound as he left the prison ward and entered the research facility. The building's emergency lights cast an eerie glow that gave a sense of foreboding to the laboratories they passed through. The women kept up, pausing only to loot some of Kai's fallen foe's weapons or ammunition he had missed in his haste. They followed him up through the corridors and halls and up flights of unlinked stairs that hid how deep the compound ran. The group stole silently through empty halls, past unremarkable doors and shade drawn interior windows.

All the while Kai fumed. When the women talked he waved at them furiously to be quiet. He refused to listen to their names. He did not want to become attached to them. With the waves of animal passion they provoked, he was not sure even his will could keep such attachment at bay forever. They were not his mission. However, what began to unnerve him most was the calm. None of this was right. It was too quiet. He had expected there to be fighting. He figured he would have met some resistance by now. Where was the mundane security? Where was the other special weapons team?

The answer to all of his questions came when he reached the hall that led into the lobby. The hall intersected the lobby at a forty-five degree angle to the reception desk. Behind the desk was a large representation of the group that ran this compound's polished and shiny logo. Beyond the desk to the other side was a large open room with chairs arranged about the edges for those who had to wait to see someone in the offices that were the building's 'official' reason for existing. The offices that stretched upwards were part of the window dressing that hid the labs that stretched down. The only way out of that area was a set of four double glass doors that opened out into a paved cul de sac. It was meant for delivery trucks to load and unload. What was parked there was not a delivery truck.

"They have a tank?!" The caucasian said in amazement.

"That is not a tank. It is an Armored Personnel Carrier. For us it is even more dangerous. That turret is not a cumbersome anti-tank gun, it is a rotating barrel heavy anti-personnel machine gun. It could mow us all down in seconds. The bullets it shoots are designed to cut through personal armor. Even undamaged my tactical suit could not take the hits from it, nor can the powers I have learned to harness stop enough of its damage to allow me to get close." He pointed. "If you look carefully into the reflection of that polished logo, you can see there are many men outside. Some of them obviously professionals using the APC as cover. As soon as they see us they will fan out and form a semicircle of death preventing anyone from escaping this building." Kai explained not so much for their benefit but for his own. He was trying to jar his mind into thinking of some way out of this.

"That thing was not in my intelligence file. With their commander defeated, they were supposed to be panicked. It looks like the second in command is a better thinker than the superior. I came in through the cargo doors, however, the way I came in is now blocked with rubble. It was directly above the generators I destroyed." Kai pondered furiously.

The APC turret was not fully enclosed, but it gave considerable cover. The operator's station was protected by a bullet resistant plexiglass shield covering the gunner's vision range. He could hit the gunner if the turret was turned at a 90 degree angle from where he was firing. It seemed rather implausible the gunner would politely turn the turret from the location being watched so he could dispatch him.

With that level of secure cover he would not be able to pick off the security guards. He could, perhaps, fashion an improvised anti tank weapon in the labs below, but, while there were many things that might start fires or explosions, there was little that would create an explosion on a scale dangerous to the APC.

"I can kill them." The thin blonde said, interrupting his thoughts.

Kai looked up annoyed. "Explain yourself."

"They made us practice and demonstrate our powers. They were trying to learn how we do what we do or some such. The energy in us can be collected and channeled out into an attack made of pure power" She started to explain.

"Yes, I can do this as well. It is exhausting and not damaging enough to destroy such a weapon." Kai said dismissively.

"Did you know then that we can link together and make such assaults stronger?" The Native American added.

"Now _that_ I did not know." Kai said cautiously.

The blond extended her hand. "We managed to keep secret that we can link to more than one at a time or how much stronger it can become. We kept a lot of secrets hoping to use them to escape."

"Nicole can send words to someone's ears even when she is somewhere else. Ashley knows where everyone is in a wide sphere around her when she focuses. Amber can project an aura where we all respond with the same instincts. Kayla knows when we're being watched even by remote. I can invert my powers to heal to infect people with illness. We kept these powers from them. They are part of what they don't know." Terra interjected.

Kai looked at the women with begrudging respect. The ability to keep such secrets when under intense interrogation would have been very difficult. These women were stronger willed than he would have given them credit. It only added to the growing sense of arousal he felt and he struggled to fight it back down.

Nicole extended her hand. "Take my hand. Draw your power to you and hold it." She instructed.

Kai did as she said, his enormous hand enveloping her smaller one. He was genuinely curious as to what would happen. He felt it when his power responded to her own. It was as if sparks ran up and down his body. He could feel a resonance between them. Each woman added her power to Nicole and a feeling of familiarity and rightness washed over Kai, overwhelming him with a feeling of intimacy and connection to the women. As their powers flowed together, Kai struggled to form a elemental bolt. Nicole shook her head.

"Don't shape your power that way. Look at me. Do it like this...it's...well it's better." She claimed.

Kai made the instructed adjustments. His power synched with the others. Somehow he knew this would not be like the elemental bolts of power he had used before.

"Your body is very strong. It could channel more power than any of ours, but you've never used this power in this manner before. I'll lead. We'll make several blasts rather than one powerful one. Do not release your power until we are sure our enemies have fallen." Nicole said.

"If we are doing this let us do it, woman!" Kai said, wrestling with the rising euphoria of having so much power singing through his body.

Nicole nodded and stepped out to get a clear shot. She aimed at a point just beyond the rear of the APC. The bolt of elemental power flowed out from her. It sailed past the APC then exploded outwards.

Everything went white. Kai's ears filled with noise. Gravity lost its hold on him and he lost his grip on Nicole and Terra. He felt himself hit a wall and he clung to it in a desperate attempt to find a point to orient himself.

When his eyes cleared, he saw the entry room and desk were gone as were the next two stories above it. The floor had buckled revealing the steel support beams and plates that armored the labs below. He looked out across the shattered lobby and the cul-de-sac beyond. Everything before him was open to the air. There was a circular path of destruction that stretched the length of two soccer fields. The ground was broken and buckled all over. Whirls of wind surrounded each spot where a man had fallen, resembling small tornados. A larger one wrapped the APC itself. Each man had water leaking out of his nose and mouth. The smell of the sea hung in the air. Strange plants blossomed, spewing a sickly yellow green miasma into the air. There was fire everywhere.

The devastation was total.

Ashley blinked. "Holy Shit!" She said in total amazement.

Nicole blinked. "We'd...umm never tried it with that much power. Actually we'd never really tired it like that at all." She admitted.

Kai narrowed his eyes. "If I was not so happy our foes were defeated, I would strike you for being stupid. You used an untested weapon in a live fire situation? You could have killed us all. You nearly did!"

Kai observed how close the blast had come to them in amazement. On some subconscious level, she must have directed the blast or cut its power to prevent them from being consumed.

"See if the APC still runs. If it does, you four take it and ram the fence. After that you must abandon it. They will surely track it if you do not. If it does not work you will have to climb the fence. Run. Each in a separate direction. Hide. Find cover from the air. Never look up. Avoid cities and anyone you know. Do not follow us. Do not stay together. After seeing this, they might send a missile strike at you rather then try to take you alive." Kai instructed.

The women except Terra ran for the APC. Kai grabbed Terra's hand and began to run to the left of the APC for the fence. His carefully hidden cuts waited for him to hit them and keep going. Just before he hit the fence, Kai felt a burning pain as something slammed hard into his left shoulder. The force hit him so hard he was tossed to the ground. He had been shot. He whirled, pointing his pistol back and upwards. On top of the building was a sniper. They had actually taken precautions in case someone managed to get past the APC. With a measure of respect for his unknown foe, Kai aimed and fired. A second shot from the sniper barely missed Kai's head. The sniper's head went back and to the left as he collapsed.

Kai snarled. "Add one more body to the count."

Terra descended on him. "Be still! You've been shot!"

"Quiet woman! We can not remain here. Let me up!" Kai responded pushing himself to his feet despite the roar of protest from his left shoulder.

"It went right through your armor. You're bleeding. I don't see an exit wound. You have to stay still." Terra said.

Kai pulled a pair of bottles from his belt splashing one on his shoulder a strong antiseptic smell filled the air. The other bottle revealed a putty like substance that grew slightly with exposure to air. He slapped it on the shoulder and it adhered to the skin drawing tight despite the odd angle he'd had to use to affix it.

"What are you doing?!" Terra asked in surprise.

"No time for more. We must escape. Time is life now. We move." He reached over catching the indignant doctor by surprise and flipped her relatively small body over onto his right shoulder before taking off.

"Do not argue or I will have to knock you out. Just hold on!" Kai instructed as he ran. He crashed right through where he had weakened the fence and kept going. He should, he thought, in a few hours be beyond the realm where chance and luck could disrupt his careful planning.

* * *

2012

Lunar Base Meeting room..

* * *

"I personally debriefed our man on the scene; John Dugen. His trap was well planned. Unfortunately, we had no idea the subjects could produce such a strong effect. His rooftop sniper did inflict damage that should have eventually been fatal given the nature of the ammunition used. Despite this, as we all know, the target some how survived." Klaus reported.

"Do we know how he managed to survive?" The Chef Control asked.

"No doubt these munitions from Pentex failed us." The Form Keeper ventured.

"No. It would seem with her enhanced medical skills, somehow, Doctor Alani must have kept him alive." Klaus reported.

"Most unfortunate." The Dissenter replied.

"Well, as we will see later in the report, while Kai Silbern's survival proved most inconvenient, it was not the most pressing matter. The breakout itself caused more damage to our position than was evident at the time." Klaus said sadly.

Klaus waved his hand at the projection screen bringing up the next section of the report


	2. Chapter 2

2012

Dark Side of the Moon, Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

"There is a matter of which I have some trouble understanding, Director Rayner. How did Kai Silbern manage to escape recapture? With all the resources of the Order and the mundane governments we control, how could one injured man and a civilian woman elude them completely?" The Form Keeper asked.

"That is a matter of some speculation. We can surmise he had outside help. The man was not working alone, however, as to the identity of those who aided him? We do not know." Klaus revealed.

"So, he made a one thousand five hundred mile trip, while dying, with a civilian in tow. Any help he received was low key enough to avoid giving away the identity of those who gave it. Yes, quite a feat, I would really like to know how he did that." The Director mused.

* * *

2008

Somewhere in the Woods of Eastern Tennessee

* * *

Terra Alani barely registered the fact that they were approaching a building. Her world had become a blur of running, stopping, drinking, chewing some sort of protein bar, and running again. Whenever she faltered, she was slung over Kai shoulder and carried. She could not remember a time she had ever been so exhausted, not even in the prison.

She had not truly slept. Not even when she passed out from fatigue and had been carried. The entire time pushing her onward, never stopping like some sort of inexorable machine, had been Kai. Now the large man pushed the door to this cabin open and fell to his knees on the floor.

"Here we are safe, woman. This is where we will rest. Do not wander." Kai looked about blinking a few times and attempted to rise. His enormous body seemed to shudder. Terra watched as his seemingly endless endurance failed him. Kai fell back to the floor with a jarring thud that rocked the rickety old cabin.

Terra looked around in a daze. The cabin was clean, despite being old. It lacked the musty smell of most old buildings. There were small boxes stacked about. She walked into the restroom and saw there was more; a handwritten note was lying on the counterless sink.

_House is on well water. The reserve is filled. Batteries charged. There is also a handle pump in the kitchen and a bucket if it runs low._ The note read.

Terra looked in the box. Inside there were basic toiletries; soap, razors, some first aid supplies, towels and washcloths. Terra didn't know who left these supplies but was elated that even feminine hygiene products were included in the kit.

The desire to be clean after however long she had been dragged through the woods overwhelmed her misgivings about her situation and her exhaustion. Terra made use of the bathroom and once clean, explored the kitchen. The feeling of being clean slightly refreshed her.

On the kitchen table was another note in the same hand writing. This one told where the food was stored. It also listed a means of disposal of trash for when the house was left behind. The bags of garbage would be buried in a pit in a hard to access location in the cellar.

Terra looked through the food stuffs and heated a can of soup on a small hot plate. Once she had eaten she found the bed and fell into it. It was the best sleep she had ever had.

She expected Kai to be looming over her when she awakened but he was not getting up. She returned to the main room to find he was still lying in the same location he had previously fallen. Suspicious and concerned, she touched his forehead. He was burning with fever.

Terra paused. She stared at the large man on the floor. It was very likely the injury he had left untreated was now infected. He could be dying. Her medical training urged her to save him as did the odd feelings of kinship she had always felt when she encountered others of her kind.

Arguing against doing so was the fear that she'd escaped one prison only to find herself in the grip of another unknown jailor. Adding to that argument was the extreme lust this man had provoked when she saw him. Terra was a trained doctor. Her mind was a sharpened, rational tool for saving lives and discovering the mysteries of human development. The idea she could lose her grip on her senses at just at the sight of someone was frightening.

She began to rationalize again. She had no idea where she was and alone the odds were favorable that she would be recaptured. Resolving to save the large man's life if she could, Terra took stock of the medical supplies available. Disgusted with the basicness of the first aid kit, she scoured the rest of the supplies for things she could improvise into tools of medicine.

Calling upon the power that had changed her life, she let it flow about her, Kai, and the tools she was to use. She then set to work.

* * *

Fifty-Three Hours Later

* * *

Kai awakened. He was laying on his belly, naked, covered by a blanket. He found he was resting upon another such blanket. His left arm was numb. His shoulder throbbed and he felt like he'd been beaten with a lead pipe.

"Don't get up. You're still too weak." Terra said.

Groaning, Kai flexed his right arm and shoved himself up into a kneeling position.

"Damn it! Can you not follow simple instructions?!" Terra snapped peevishly.

"I am not weak." Kai said. He closed his eyes in an effort to stop the room from spinning.

"You're lucky you're not dead!" Terra said drawing closer to him.

"What happened? Where are we?" Kai asked confused.

"I'm not sure. From what I guess we ran almost three days straight. You came to this cabin and collapsed. The wound in your shoulder was killing you so I worked on it. It's not healed, however." Terra explained.

"Not healed?" Kai asked trying to force his brain to start working.

"We heal at an extraordinary rate. Even the worst wounds stop bleeding almost immediately. We are almost immune to going into or dying of shock. If our bones are shattered our body will realign the bone shards properly. Even as the healing processes kick in, the bones will never re-knit wrong. If even the ruin of a limb is still intact, it will heal back to full usefulness. Only complete amputation seems to be incurable." Terra explained.

"How do you know these things? I knew about the blood..." Kai asked still mildly befuddled.

"The labs at the prison were very thorough in their tests, Kai. Due to my medical training they forced me to help them. I was given a very close look at the sorts of damage we can endure during those tests. On others I was asked to give a professional rating to how much pain I was in when used as a subject." Terra said quietly.

Kai pondered these sobering facts. He decided he would have to reevaluate all of the women who had been in that camp.

"You said, despite this, my wound has not healed?" Kai asked concerned.

"No. It's not normal. Look at this." Terra said.

In her hand she held an old canning jar. The top was rusted, but it was obvious the old jar had been washed. Inside were small scraps of metal. They were shaped similarly to thorny vines. When Kai drew close, the shards moved attacking the jar's edge, as if they were trying to attack him. It was as if they were alive.

"This is what was in your shoulder. They were radiating out from the bullet lodged in your shoulder blade. I can't get the bullet out and it is growing new tendrils. They grow slowly. It looked to me as if they're seeking your vital organs." Terra explained.

"I have heard of these things but only in rumors. They are meant for killing werewolves." Kai said groggily.

"If you're not going to be serious then this conversation is over." Terra said.

"It is true, woman. Werewolves, vampires and even worse things are all real. I have killed a few of them." Kai explained, opening his eyes again to find the room had at least stopped moving.

Terra eyed him doubtfully as she put away the jar.

"Woman, you have seen six people conjure a force strong enough to blow the side of a building off, but you cannot believe there are men who take the shape of beasts?" Kai asked, slightly amused.

"Is that why this is silver?" Terra asked, lifting his combat knife from out of the array of tools she'd used to work on Kai's shoulder.

Kai looked at her suspiciously for just a moment. He was not happy she had taken his knife. His first thought was that he was stupid for being so careless. She could have slit his throat. He let that pass, however. If she had wanted to kill him, she could have just let him die on the floor of this cabin.

"Yes that is why that is made of silver. Even so, I would not take on a werewolf at such a range unless I had already crippled it. At least before the change came over me. Now that I am so much stronger than before, things might be different." Kai trailed off arrogantly. He became lost in thought, calculating his odds in such an encounter.

"You're serious aren't you? Why haven't I heard of such beings then?" Terra asked.

"Many reasons. The same sort of people who locked you up would not want anyone to know of them, nor do they wish to be known. Vampires, in particular, work to keep the population ignorant of the supernatural. No doubt it is a big part of why you and those other women were locked up. We look too different from normal mankind to hide our differences easily and our powers are not at all subtle. To those who wish the sheep to remain ignorant, we are a threat." Kai explained.

"I guess that explains the witch hunt a few years back when everyone was trying to capture and kill all the Projectors." Terra mused.

"Exactly only it came too late. The Projectors were too firmly entrenched. Too many people had seen and believed in what they did. The powers that would hide them away lost that battle. At least, I suppose that is the case. As I am not one of the hidden masters behind the deception of the world myself." Kai said with a bit of levity.

Kai stood up albeit his balance was wobbly. He made his way over and sat on the old sofa in the middle of the room. Terra handed him a cup of broth which he took and began to guzzle it greedily.

"If you fall over you'll stay where you lay. I had a hard enough time rolling you on one side then the other to get that blanket under you" Terra said.

Kai took the cup of broth from his lips and swallowed. "One of the downsides of being so large. One of many. You are also a large target. There is also the ordeal of finding clothes that fit." Kai said with a hint of humor.

Terra changed the subject back to the matter at hand. "The main impact site lodged the bullet in your shoulder blade. From what I can tell it has grown barbs that imbed it into the bone. I might not be able to get it out without shattering your shoulder blade and while that might very well heal back to full function, given our capabilities, it is well beyond the scope of anything I would want to do here. Wherever that is." Terra explained.

"Several miles from anywhere." Kai said, exhaustion creeping back into his voice. He drank down the rest broth and let his mind start working.

"If we don't get you to a location well outfitted for surgery you _will _die. We have a week or two at best and that is taking your abnormally robust endurance into account." Terra explained.

"That should be enough time to get to where we can find help." Kai mused.

"What sort of help? Your employers?" Terra asked hesitantly.

"No. The identity of my employers is unknown. I would not worry about that. Anyone willing to pay for your rescue is no doubt better than where you were. If not, you might still be in luck. I know a mercenary who might be hired to break you out. He is expensive. His price ranges in the millions, but he never breaks contract and very rarely fails." Kai said

"I don't have a few million lying about." Terra said with a grim smile.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. I value my life more than paltry money. So you have plenty of credit with him." Kai jested.

"What?" Terra asked, comprehension finally dawning on her. "Then why turn me over to them at all?" Terra asked.

"I value my word of honor more than my life. Besides, who knows? You might like them and then you have a surprise to call down on your enemies at a later time." Kai explained. He looked up at her over the rim of his cup with a small smile.

Terra looked at him, unsure how to respond before deciding to press for more information. "Someone prepared this place. I take it you have allies?" Terra asked.

"Of sorts. We should meet them in ten days if things go well. Even slowed down we should be inside your time frame before I succumb." Kai mused. He then carefully stood up and examined the boxes lying about. He pulled out several objects and returned to the sofa.

"You see, upon taking this job, I contacted two former compatriots. Lesser mercenaries who hired me to extract them from a situation that had become more dangerous than they could handle alone. They are less conspicuous than I am and free to travel in the United States. They have set up our rest and refit areas." Kai explained.

"I guess you trust them. I Imagine there will be a reward for our recapture." Terra mused.

"I trust a combination of their greed and for them to fear me more than they desire an easy reward. They know how utterly ruthless I can be in pursuit of my agenda. They would not want me to have to add revenge upon them to said agenda. Besides, even a small percentage of the reward offered to break you out and bring you to the rendezvous point is likely larger than any reward that a government will officially offer." Kai said.

"Officially?" Terra inquired.

"There is only so much any government will do on the books. You have been pulled into the shadow world. This is where beings that no one openly acknowledges exists. This is where often offers become less about money and more about the bartering of power. Most of those who could and would barter high enough to overcome the scruples my allies have already have them on a blacklist. So, again, we should be fine. We just have to get to the Mexican border and well will catch up with them." Kai said while studying the objects he had acquired

"How are we going to cross the country without getting caught? Particularly with you wounded." Terra asked worried.

"I had planned that after the first race to escape, we would travel at what would be, for me, an almost a leisurely pace. I was unsure of what state you would be in. It works out for our circumstances, even if they are different. Each day we will rest in a location prepared for us. Some will be this nice. Some will be tents or caves. Each will be well provisioned, however, even if we have to stay more than one night. This was set to be the best prepared and set up for the longest stay. I had planed for up to five days wait. I was not sure if I would be rescuing a well tended prisoner, a tortured husk or someone drugged into submission. Thus, this place was equipped for me to work you back into a state healthy enough to be able to travel." Kai replied.

Kai gave a snort at the irony of the situation.

"You never thought you would be on the receiving end of the medical care? That sounds extremely self confident." Terra mused dryly.

"I trusted that, considering how my abilities have been enhanced by the change, that I would find either victory or death. There would be no inbetween." Kai said emptily.

Terra shuffled uncomfortably. For once, Kai changed the subject.

"Your previous question does not completely suprise me, however, very few people come to the realizations needed to make such a plan as I have. You are from the East, yes?" Kai asked as he looked at her beautiful Pacific Islander's skin. He knew from his dossier that she had, despite the fact that her ancestry was still fairly obvious, even when one took into account the physical changes involved in Manifestation.

Terra nodded.

"I wanted to congratulate you. You speak like an American. There is no trace of an accent. At first, I did not think you were my target. Erasing the accent in my English is something that I have...struggled with." Kai said. His accent was slight, but it was still there. It would have been a dead giveaway to a native English speaker. Terra, on the other hand, possessed no such handicap.

Terra smiled despite herself. "I've always had an ear for languages. I just imitated the cadence of those around me."

Kai nodded in approval before he continued. "Anyway, as I was saying, the fact that you are from the East should have given you an advantage in discerning my plan. If you had been from Europe, I doubt you ever would put it together. It is a curious thing. When you first came to the United States did you think about sightseeing?" Kai asked.

"I saw a few sights in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. I went to New York City during a class break. The work I was doing, even postdoctoral, was too involved for longer excursions." Terra explained in a tone of rising curiosity.

"I see. Why did you not go see the Hollywood sign? Perhaps you could have jaunted out to see the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone?" Kai asked.

"I didn't have time and those would have had to have been three separate trips. They are too far removed from each other to do in one trip." Terra said.

Kai smiled. "I once met a Frenchman who planned to tour New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. He had a month trip and planned to sandwich Las Vegas and those aforementioned sights into the same trip. I laughed at him the way he laughed at Americans who think to see all the sights of France and Germany in the same trip. The Frenchman was defeated by distance. He had no idea of the true scale of this land. Freed from the narrow confines of Europe and Britain, the people who migrated here seem to have had an intense desire to spread everything out as thinly as possible. It is as if they were a tiny puff of air released into a sealed vacuum. They spread out to fill all available space." He expounded.

"I've been to Europe once. There, cities and towns are relatively clustered together. You can spend months in a city like Paris or Rome. There is a lot of history there." Terra said, beginning to understand what Kai was getting at.

"In Europe, one hundred kilometers is thought to be a very long way. In the Americas one hundred years sounds like a long time. Neither is true...or both are. I suppose it depends on who you ask. The fact remains, however, when the authorities here are looking for someone, they put men at the airports, the major roadways and focus spy satellites around the cities their fugitives are thought to be near. If you are in none of those places you are off their grid. It is like trying to catch minnows with a net meant to catch tuna." He bent forward and pulled out a map to illustrate his point.

"We will stick to the wilderness. We are crossing through to the less populated South; the more rural lands. We will come near no cities major enough to be watched. We will cross only a few major interstate roads and those we will cross at very boring locations and at very dull hours. Due to our allies we will never set foot in a shop. We will have no need to venture close to a town to be seen. We will not have to arrange transit. We will walk to some places. Other times will be be taking small off road vehicles along trails. In ten short days we will be at the over three thousand kilometer long border with Mexico, which, along with the two and a half thousand kilometer border to the North, is watched by a mere twenty one thousand people. Then, we will be out of this country. Our travel process through Mexico will be similar, but the majority of the danger of recapture will be behind us." Kai explained.

"It sounds like if we get delayed, you're going to come close to the limit in getting medical treatment. If the trip takes ten days and you only have fourteen, you will have to find a location to get surgical treatment in a mere four days. If you experience any more delays, you may have only a day or two." Terra said in a worried tone.

"Then we will have to ensure we are not delayed. Leave the rest to me, woman. I will ensure we can leave this afternoon." Kai boasted.

Despite Kai's boast they did not leave that afternoon. Even with Terra aid, Kai's injury slowed him down more than he expected. Kai went into the woods and buried some of the supplies they would not need. He returned with a quad wheeled ATV and loaded the bulk of the remaining supplies. Afterwards, he was so exhausted he realized it would be foolish to leave.

"I just need to sit and rest. Perhaps if I eat something..." Kai said as he did his best to steady the slight tremor in his left arm.

"You need sleep. Perhaps not a full night's, but your body needs to devote its resources to healing what it can and refueling both your mental and physical reserves. You will need them later." Terra countered.

"Nonsense! I just..." Kai began.

"I have no doubt you know your body, however, I _do_ have great doubt you have ever had an invasive illness like this attack it. This is not to be taken lightly. It is comparable to a very rapid cancer. I know we have to rush, the clock is ticking, not just because we are being pursued, but for finding you a more permanent solution. I might not be a mercenary or used to a violent lifestyle, but I have to make these sort of judgement calls. A doctor must decide things for their patient, such as how harsh a treatment a patient can withstand. By default _I_ am your physician. These are not limits you can push through with your great strength and stamina. If you press further, you will shatter your strength not rebuild it. Now listen to me and sleep at least four hours." Terra said. Her suddenly authoritative tone would brook no argument.

"I once went four days without food in the rocky desert. I lay buried under a camouflage tarpaulin. I was trying to kill the world's most wanted terrorist. Had I succeeded, I would have made an unbelievable amount of money from the bounties he had posted on his head." Kai reminisced.

"I would have heard if you had killed him, if that's indeed who you're talking prodded.

"I killed one of his doubles. It was not a complete waste. It revealed to me where he was with little doubt in my mind. Unfortunately I did not pursue that lead. I could not. I knew if I did, it would be I who would die. After so long with no food and so little water I was at my limit. It was something I have rarely faced. Since gaining these powers, I have become so much stronger, but here is proof I am not yet invincible. It pains me, but it is facts that you state, woman. Self delusion is a luxury I cannot afford. I will rest. I cannot swear to sleep. I ache so badly I do not think rest will come without drugs, and I dare not fog my mind." Kai admitted.

"Go lay down in the bed. Try to sleep. We will see what happens." Terra told him gently.

Kai shed the clothes he had been wearing. He wore only very thin, athletic-like shorts as lay face down in the bed as to not press on his injury. He had shed his shirt for the same reason. For at least half an hour he rested and ran through mental exercises to combat pain and to tried to force relaxation. None of them availed him. Sleep did not come. When the door to the room opened, he kept his breathing rhythmic, hoping the doctor would think him asleep and leave him be.

He nearly jumped when he felt her hands at the junction of his shoulders and neck. Her nimble fingers began rub the tense clusters of nerves and muscle. The stress of his body started to ease.

"What are you doing? I..." He began, but as he turned his head, he found her finger went over his lips.

"You're right. You can't take drugs. We do not even know what effect they might have on this thing inside you, but there are more natural ways to combat stress and fatigue. I will help you rest. Just relax and let me work." She whispered soothingly.

Kai did his best to relax, but he was worried. Her touch roused emotions he did not want to feel. Urges that he felt no professional captor should ever feel toward a captive. _Especially_ one the captor in question held sympathy for. He focused on his meditation, attempting to melt these emotions away into a neutral state of awareness. His body, however, had different ideas and his aroused state betrayed him physically.

Terra didn't respond to his arousal at first. She continued her massage, focusing on his legs and back. However, as the tension from pain and stress fled from his body, it was replaced by a very different tension, one caused by building lust and something Kai had never admitted, but that he found staring him in the face: a very desperate loneliness.

Kai thought about this woman. He had never even used her name to her face. He was no misogynist, but he often referred to people by pronouns, as objectifying those he met while working helped him keep his mind on his goal or mission. He thought of most of humanity as beneath him. He was, he knew, a very uncommon sort of person. He had found no one he considered his equal, let alone his better. There were few he would even consider close enough in skill or power to be his peer. He had certainly never encountered anyone he ever had the slightest inkling of a romantic interest in. Yet, deep down, Kai was afraid of this. He knew that true partnerships of any kind required a parity. One could have sex and enjoy it with someone, but to want to spend your life paired with someone, you had to know they were fully your equal. You could not look down on one and still call it love.

This woman was like him. She was, somehow, chosen for these powers...this greatness. She had endured much. She had proven remarkable, in her own way, as he was in his. He feared never finding and equal that was also his match. Now he feared he had not only found it, but he found it at the most extraordinarily inopportune time.

Kai pushed himself up to a kneeling position, facing the headboard. Terra moved back with him. With Kai kneeling on the very low bed and Terra standing, their heights were more equal. Terra moved her arms so they encircled his enormous chest from behind. She ran her small hands up and down his pectorals as her extremely generous bosom pressed against his back.

"Don't. Just...don't. Don't leave. Stop this, Kai. It's something we both need." Terra implored.

Kai stopped, as if the use of his name had mentally stunned him. He was caught, unsure of what to do.

"You say I have entered a world of magic? The only magic I know about is life. The magic of birth and sex. Of male and female forces. Compared in so many cultures as dynamically opposed yet harmonious when brought together. In the light of what we face, I choose to come into this world wielding the magic I know. Let me chase away pain and bring healing. Let's not fight these primal feelings nature or our powers have given us. If that bullet is the power of death, let's give into the forces of life and see if we can raise a power that it does not understand." With that she leaned up and kissed the back of Kai's neck.

Kai inhaled deeply. The heady, intoxicating aroma of flowers assaulted his nostrils. "Equal but opposite forces?" He asked.

"Yes! Wind and water. Heat and soil. The powers of old that man worshiped and prayed would make the crops grow and the hunts plentiful." Terra said.

With that, Kai relented. He turned around and cupped her chin in his huge hand, her emerald eyes meeting his sapphire. While it seemed such a small thing in the cosmos, the joining of one man and one woman, it was a harbinger of things to come. Spirits both humble and great took note. The Children of the Dragons bred in the world once more.

* * *

Later

* * *

Kai seemed to recover in strength. True to his plan, he and Terra's trek across the country was, for the most part, uneventful. A few times they had to hide while hunters or hikers passed. The quiet and isolation left both Kai and Terra with a long while to think. They both had the same thought on their mind; the change in their relationship. It weighed on them in different ways.

Kai continued to berate himself for his unprofessionalism. He knew he should bottle up these feelings and put them aside for the good of the mission. Yet, most of the evenings when they stopped he could not get that voice to speak loud enough to actually put a halt to their amorous activities. On the plus side, he thought, it was the absolute best sex he had ever had.

Terra was concerned as to exactly why she had seduced Kai. Early onset Stockholm Syndrome? An attempt to humanize herself to her captor? A desperate attempt at filling the loneliness and isolation? Her stint in prison had given her reason to fear all of these. However, this wasn't the same. She didn't have the same sort of fear. She couldn't even really say for certain she felt any fear at all being with Kai, despite her analytical side begging to differ. She was most definitely not desperate for male companionship. She had been completely disinterested in her captors, and no opportunity had arisen to give into a desire for intimacy with her fellow inmates.

Now that the proverbial bridge had been crossed, however, Terra saw no reason to end their encounters. It did provide some much needed relief from what was an extremely boring trip. Being a social person, Terra had not enjoyed her long isolation in the prison nor did she relish it here.

Eight nights into their trek, Kai stopped their travel early. "We will be going into a city." He stated.

"Isn't that what we've been trying to avoid?" Terra asked.

"Yes, this, however, is a well planned exception. In the edge of this town we will find a cargo storage container marked for shipment by a moving company. It will be delivered to a house in Texas along the outskirts of a town called Presidio which is on the Mexican border. There we will exit the cargo container and travel a short way to meet the rest of our group." Kai explained.

They crept close and found the cargo container sitting at an old house. Kai turned the dial on the combination lock and opened the door. Inside were a few boxes and a covered mattress. Like many of the other places the pair had taken shelter, it appeared old and dingy on the outside, but inside it was clean. The unit was even fitted with a climate control device to help regulate airflow and temperature. There was even a portable sink and water tank. Terra rummaged through the supplies and found the same sort of portable sanitation supplies and basic necessities that she had become accustomed to along the journey.

For the first time since the house in the woods, however, Terra found they had time and no particular need to be especially quiet. She watched Kai silently as he took off his shirt and began to clean himself in a makeshift wash basin. She found herself staring, despite herself, at his incredible musculature. She'd never seen a physique so...large and yet so defined. She had decided that she liked his chest the most. His huge pectorals were like two heaving plates of muscle. She could not help but admire them. She caught herself and shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts. She decided to take advantage of the situation and attempt to stop her mind from wandering. She was going to use this opportunity to learn more about this mysterious, hulking giant who had freed her only to capture her again.

"How did you become a mercenary? I can't imagine it's on too many high school or college recruitment programs. How does someone end up in your line of...work?" Terra asked, perhaps a bit more acerbically than she intended.

Kai paused in his efforts to clean himself and pondered the question. Finally, after what seemed like several minutes, he spoke. "My family, the Silberns, have a long history of military service. This history stretches back to the days of the Holy Roman Empire. Perhaps even before. My own time in the military, however, was disappointing. I picked up the skills as if born to them, however, I despised the petty bureaucracy that runs the modern military. It brought to mind an ancient proverb: _There is more to fear from an army of sheep lead by a lion then from an army of lions lead by a sheep._ No military force in what has come to be called the 'civilized' world is without this bureaucratic element; this parasitic force. Gone are the days of warrior kings or statesmen soldiers. The proud military traditions of ages beyond count have been tossed aside in favor of men who are soft. The kind who make rules simply for the sake of having rules. The sort who feel if they regulate everything, somehow, they will have true power. I despise their ilk with every fiber of my being."

"So the men who'd have peace rather than war?" Terra asked.

"Not so. There is no man who appreciates peace more than a soldier. Soldiers put their lives on the line and see the terrible price that comes with war. Soldiers take no delight in war. Warriors enjoy the test of skill, the incredible stakes, and challenge of war more than soldiers do, yet they remain aware that war for it's own sake is wasteful. Only in service to a worthy cause should it be employed. Bureaucrats sign papers. They sit behind their desks and send others in their place and never see their victims. They slay with a pen stroke. The blood of the fallen concerns them not at all.

They are next of kin to those who put you in a cell. It is these parasites, and those like them that perhaps irrevocably marred the reputation of the Germanic peoples by ordering millions of harmless innocents to their deaths. Neither a true soldier nor warrior would do such a thing. People should have dignity. They should not be reduced to numbers in a ledger or butchered like cattle. How can there be dignity in death when one has been robbed of their pride? If there is no dignity in death how can there be any in killing?

No, they are not men of peace they are men who think they know power; the power of ruling other men. Ironic, that they steal away the very thing that would make such an accomplishment praiseworthy. They seek to turn men into a sort of herd animal. They are proud that they lead so many as they survey the numbers under their supposed control. They fail to see that the act of leading even just ten true men, ones of skill, wit and will who have seen that your will is stronger, you plans grander, and your strength unfailing and serve you willingly is a far more praiseworthy goal than directing a mindless herd of thousands.

"Men, huh?" Terra noted, her voice lilting at his choice of words.

"Well _humans_ anyhow. The military is still primarily a male institution. The reasons for this are strictly biological. There is no less of the strength of will present in females. We men merely have the luxury of being more expendable." Kai explained with a smile.

"Expendable?" Terra inquired. Her curiosity was piqued, as Kai did not seem to be the kind to refer to himself as expendable.

"For a culture to thrive it must have women. A single man might, in an emergency, be of service to many women, but each individual woman devotes a great deal of time and effort to procreation. Compare this to the miniscule amount of time required of a male. If a culture was to lose ninety percent of its males, it would have a terrible road to recovery, but might still restore itself. A people who lose ninety percent of their women, however, would be wiped from the Earth. Thus, historically, we are expendable. If sacrifices are to be made for a community, logically we men should make it. Do not mistake my meaning though. In this age of technology and sophisticated martial arts, women are just as dangerous physically. Not to mention women have always had a will just as great as men. The challenges of living are often greater than those of dying." Kai explained.

"You know, I'm a doctor of prenatal development. I know a few things about the challenges of raising a new generation even if I have never birthed my own child." Terra told Kai.

"Yes, well, back to what you originally asked. I took what money I had saved from living a spartan life while in the military and when my first chance to withdraw without dishonor came I left. I bought some basic equipment and traveled to less civilized lands. I joined causes, insurgencies, counter rebellions, even criminal organizations if I thought there was some worth to their cause. As my reputation gained merit I had less trouble joining ranks. Then it got to where people would travel further afield to offer me work. Soon, I was part of an elite group, those who had became so good we'd see the underbelly of the world. The mysteries and magic that are kept hidden from the masses. Not unlike the fighting spirit and strength of will of days past which is still buried deep within humanity. The sort of secrets that those who would make men sheep wish to hide. They do not want power in the hands of those who might rise and turn from the herd to another path." Kai said as he took a towel and dried himself. He gave Terra a bitter smile.

"That is how I began this life. I was alone in mountains of Hungary. I was searching for a man condemned for mass execution; a war criminal. It was known he had been turned into a vampire. Those in the know about the supernatural still wanted him dead. He had retreated high in the mountains where he thought mortals could not find him. It was during the ordeal to get to him deep in the mountains that these powers came over me. With them, his execution was laughably easy. I did just a bit of follow up work; killing a few associates of his creator. By then some knew of my new powers. It had only been a month or two. That is when I received the offer to extract you." Kai looked at Terra, and then decided to turn the tables on the conversation. "You are from Indonesia? That is what the dossier said about you." He asked.

"Yes. I'm proud of my land. It's rich in diversity and true crossroads of cultures." She smiled and looked down at her feet before looking back up. "I know I sound like a travel brochure, but it's true. For the most part we Indonesians see the many cultures on our islands as a strength. I think part of that is what made me so accomplished at languages." Terra said fondly.

"Then why have you stayed so long in the United States?" Kai asked.

"My family, I supose. When I was young, I lived with my mother and father. My mother was a nurse, father worked in construction. Like most of my family they were Buddhist. However, some of the family converted to Islam. This wasn't really that big of a problem at the time. I remember there were some rather lively debates over the merits of one over the other when I was younger. I caused that debate to intensify and turn bitter. When I became a teenager, I discovered that my sexual attraction had more to do with the personality of the person in question rather than the physical sex they possessed." Terra said, reminiscing.

"What was that?" Kai inquired, his head snapping up slightly.

"I discovered in my early teens that I was bisexual, Kai. My mother and father thought it was odd and that I might grow out of it, but if not, that it was harmless. At least that's how I remember it. My great uncle said otherwise. He was older than my father. He was not only Muslim, but a strong proponent of the harshest interpretations of Sharia law. He would very loudly argue with father about me and what should be done about, what he felt, was a shameful blight on the family's honor. When my father and mother died trying to help perform rescue work during a mudslide, he attempted to gain custody of me. He was convinced he could reform me." Terra frowned as she stopped speaking.

"I..I did not know you were bisexual." Kai paused for a long moment before speaking again. "Might I ask you a question unrelated to your story?" He inquired.

Terra looked up, shocked out of her revery by the question. "Yes, I suppose."

Kai shifted uncomfortably "How should I word this...? I do not want to be insulting, but it is a difficult subject. You see, when I looked upon you for the first time, I felt an intense physical desire to have sex with you. It was the strongest physical attraction I have ever felt. I felt a similar desire, but slightly less so, when I saw the other women who were like us; your fellow prisoners. Did you experience similar feelings, and if so, were they only for me or for the other women as well?" He asked in a somewhat rushed, nervous manner. The uneasy and uncertain tone was echoed by Kai's body language, which was plainly obvious due to his bulk.

"I felt desire for them as well as yourself. They felt such urges, despite three of them having been at least, as far as they could tell, completely heterosexual before their powers manifested. We were fairly sure the sexual desire were strongest in myself and Kayla, who was strongly lesbian." Terra said in an analytical fashion.

"I felt the surge of lust most strongly for you. I do not know if this was because you were the first woman I saw. I do know what we have shared during this trip has been the most enjoyable sex I have ever had." Kai said, some of his old confidence returning.

"Flattery like that might make a woman blush. I'm glad you've been impressed. The sex has been quite good hasn't it?" She smiled and changed the subject back to their original topic. "You were asking about why I chose to stay in America, however, weren't you? As I became a source of tension in my own family, I was eager to spend some time away from them. When the opportunity came to take a scholarship program and finish my medical degree in the United States, I leapt at it. I wanted to travel and see other places. This is also a land built on diversity and, like my home, it also doesn't always live up to its creed, but I had thought it was an interesting place to start my own life. I applied for citizenship because of that. I wanted to make my own place in the world, my own mark. My research into the minutia of the mother-fetus bond and prenatal treatment of developmental problems was coming along so well..." Terra said as she shook her head sadly in loss.

Kai pondered her words. First, he focused on how she had evaded the opportunity to return the sentiment that the sex was the best she had ever had. Terra's tone of loss, however, sparked in Kai a desire to chase from her such sadness.

"Do not fret over how your life's path was disrupted. The smooth course is for less interesting, less grand people then we." Kai remarked, attempting to console her.

"Do you truly think we can survive when the world itself seems to be turned against us?" Terra asked.

"No, I do not _think_ we will merely _survive_. I _know_ we will _prevail_. I am not the sort who gives up in the face of adversity and neither are you. It also appears to me, from what you have told me about your captivity, all those who have received these gifts are not common people meant for the everyday world. We are the sort whose path is written large on the face of the world. We are not followers, but leaders and we will blaze our own trail! Whatever challenges are set before us we will rise to them, for we are not lesser than any challenge the world can toss our way." Kai proclaimed.

"Maybe we can prevail. Maybe we can make a world for ourselves." Terra pondered.

Kai pulled Terra into an embrace. She rested her head on his massive chest. "Do not grieve for matters past. The trials we face make us the strong people we are. Do not fear for the future. We will write it ourselves. Come! Let us rest and enjoy this reprieve. Our path from here should start to become easier." He said as he lay down. Within minutes, despite his desire to remedy Terra's lack of affirmation of his sexual prowess, Kai soon fell asleep. Terra took sheet and spread it over his form and lay down next to him on the mattress. His enormous weight caused the mattress they shared to dip, and she invariably found herself pressing up against his huge body; not that she minded too much. She changed into a more comfortable sleeping attire that had been left for her and snuggled down next to the shirtless Kai.

Sometime in the night, Terra felt a jolt. She woke up with a start, but began to relax as soon as she realized the trailer had obviously begun its journey. She rolled over and peered through the darkness. The container had entered the highway. Streetlights now periodically shone through the very small one by six inch 'windows' near the container's forward ceiling. There was a pair of them on the opposite sides of the wall from each other; they were too high to use to look outside or for anyone to see inside, so much that Terra wondered what function they could possibly serve. She was just barely able to make out the form of the sleeping colossus next to her each time they passed a lightpole. He didn't even wake from the movement.

Terra tried to keep calm and keep her priorities in check, but she fretted over the state of the big man. She was concerned that he was sleeping on his back might exacerbate his wound for starters. He had been pushing hard and they were getting close to the edge of her estimate of his ability to hold out against the invasive device in his body. She sighed and lay back down. She truly hoped he would be alright, but she knew his time was running out. Sleep soon washed over her again as she drifted back to sleep.

The next day, the container came to a stop. The uninterrupted sleep and rest seemed to do Kai some good. As the pair exited the storage container, he quickly found the next cache of goods in a storage shed out back of the house in Presidio as well as a simple dirt bike. Terra climbed on with him as he revved the bike and they took off. Hours later, after traveling down some twisted paths through the hilly scrubland, Kai slowed the bike down to a crawling pace.

"Why did we slow down so much?" Terra asked.

"So we can be seen. You don't see him, but we are being watched from that rock up there." Kai informed Terra.

"One of your people?" Terra asked, suddenly alert. She still, however, didn't see anyone up where Kai was pointing.

"Yes. We are almost there." Kai said as he revved the bike again. They went around the hill upon which the rock was stationed and came to what appeared to be a small depression between the hills. Upon closer inspection there was an opening into the hill side. It faced the other hill and had a sloping entrance covered by a slatted wood awning that had been covered with dirt and local plant life; from a distance or above it was almost invisible.

Sitting in the shade of the entryway in a lawn chair in the breeze of an oscillating fan, was a short and slight man. He was maybe five foot six, Terra estimated. He had pale skin and dark black hair that was parted on the side, but was so short it almost spiked up. He held a bottle of Tequila that was so cold the sweat ran down the bottle. He took a swig from the bottle and looked up, lowering the sunglasses he wore. Despite the shade of the enclave, Terra could see his extremely dark blue eyes.

"Just in time! It was just about to get boring around here! I'm a big fan of just chilling and drinking, but it was actually on the border of getting dull around here." He quipped to Kai.

"I am not pleased at your lack of alertness, Mike." Kai said simply as he stepped off the bike.

"Hey, I'm keeping guard in case anything comes up the tunnel from the Mexico side! Axe was keeping watch for you." Mike replied.

"Who is Axe?" Terra asked.

"The man standing behind you." Kai replied without looking back.

Terra turned and suppressed the urge to jump. Without making a sound, someone had walked up right behind her. This one was six foot four, his hair was a wavy chocolate brown and came down to his shoulder blades. His skin was the rich, dark tan of someone that was caucasian but mixed with a heavy dose of either Hispanic or Native American ancestry. His eyes, however, stood out the most; they were a very strange shade of pale blue, and the irises were very large and very noticeable.

"Your name is Axe?" Terra asked.

"Don't bother talking to him he's shy around women." Mike made a motion to Terra's chest. "Given your endowments, I doubt you'll drag two words out of him the entire trip." Mike stated.

"These two are the backup. That one talks too much and the other too little." Kai looked down into the tunnel as if thinking.

"I see." Terra said simply, distracted by the fact that, despite Mike's fan not being plugged into any sort of outlet or generator, it was still working.

"Well she doesn't seem any worse for wear or a vegetable. So what took so long? Sight seeing? Not that those massive tits aren't worth taking the scenic route to gander at for a while. Not sure those alone are worth what were being paid to spring her, though." Mike said with a lecherous leer.

Kai's hand flashed over and seized Mike's shoulder wheeling the shorter man around to face him.

"Keep a civil tongue and keep your eyes off her! Do you understand? If I learn you have touched her or harassed her you, are finished little man." Kai ordered with a snarl.

Terra was surprised by the speed at which the one called Axe dropped the package he had been holding and leapt to the side of Kai. He stood in a crouch, hands spread, ready for combat.

"Ease up buddy... Kai's just being a hard ass, right? Come on! You know me, man! Do I look like a newb? I'm a professional! I won't mess with the merchandise. I know the rules. Business first. Come on, ease up! The last thing we want is a battle with a super sized Germanic murder machine." Mike said, a nervous pitch rising in his voice.

"You are a professional, but just barely disciplined. I repeat; watch your mouth around the woman. As for you, wolf boy, you had best remember if I chose to come for you, there is little you can do to stop me. I was your better in combat before these powers came to me and I am now worlds beyond you." Kai informed the pair.

He released Mike's shoulder with a shove that sent him stumbling back toward Axe. Everything was quiet for a moment. Terra decided to break the mounting tension.

"How is this fan working when it's not plugged in?" She asked.

"It is magic. The short one is a Mage. He is also lazy enough to waste his powers on creature comforts. What worries me is the size of this tunnel. This is not the sort of thing I expected. I know drug runners and illegal border hoppers have made tunnels below that river, but this is large enough to drive a small truck through. Who was using this?" Kai asked.

"Drug runners. A major cartel in fact. They were running a forklift through it to be exact, not a small truck. They were moving drugs by a pallet load." Mike explained.

"An operation that size and they have not noticed their tunnel was taken from them two weeks ago?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, sure, they noticed but blamed someone else. We framed another cartel. They're both busy fighting it out right now well away from here. Each is too busy attacking the other to come mess with us. If a patrol comes to check on this place, we kill them and toss the bodies where the other side find them and boom! Escalation of their conflict! Less people coming to snoop." Mike bragged

"This had better not be headed toward a disastrous breakdown." Kai stated darkly.

"Hey don't be so dour! We got this! We are about to be well away from here regardless." Mike said.

"Yes, there is that... still, given your history, I'm surprised it has not bitten you upon the ass already." Kai said with a shake of his head.

"I thought you said they were survivors?" Terra asked.

"They are. Surviving the trouble they cause for themselves is their greatest accomplishment." Kai explained.

"So he's a Mage. I take it thats some sort of magician or wizard thing and this one is...?" Terra said looking at Axe.

"Yes, that one is a werewolf. He acts more like a lapdog for the mage, though. Not the proud and independent warrior he is supposed to be." Kai explained.

"Well, as absolutely fascinating as listening to you rag on us is, we need to move. Come on, we'll grab the forklift and ride to the other side, then we can get the truck and be off." Mike said.

The fan slowed, as if unplugged, and the group moved on. Terra wondered if they were truly out of the proverbial woods yet. Despite Kai's assurances, she wondered if the party that was paying for her liberation was anyone she wanted to deal with, and if not, would she ever find a safe haven? Not just for herself, but for others of her kind. Remembering her conversation with Kai in the storage container, Terra resolved to take heart. Kai might not have noticed it, but occasionally he was even thinking of their kind as a group he belonged too. Forming a self identity was the first step to them becoming their own people. If that could be accomplished, she was quite sure they could indeed create their own place in the world.


	3. Chapter 3

2012

Dark Side of the Moon, Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

The Chief tapped a few commands into his data pad and then looked up. "It has been the subject of many investigations and reports but, I think, we need to hear it again. Why, despite the large amount of collateral damage caused in Mexico, is it that none of our agents were able to piece together that Kai Silbern was the source of these incidents?"

The Form Keeper frowned. "I think we all have accepted director Rayner's findings. I'd also like to point out the near prescience of his older reports."

"It is easy to forget that eyes on the ground often see problems clearer than those that are afar. No, I think we need to be reminded of this. Continue Augustus, er Claus..." The Chief ordered.

"The primary problem lay in how our forces were organized at the time. Response teams were devoted to different types of reality deviants. Each chased their own type of problem with weapons specialised to the task at hand. Each was also trained in the behavior patterns and lore of their own targeted foe. At the time, trouble was brewing in northern Mexico. Vampire controlled drug cartels had become the new front from which the sect we now know is called the 'Sabbat', who controlled that area, clashed with groups controlled by a coalition of other vampiric interests." Claus paused for breath only to be interrupted.

"Do we know why these hemophage turf wars in this particular area became so violent? Director Rayner, I seem to recall, while they were not a new thing, the intensity rose sharply in 2007, only a year or so before the incident." The Dissenter asked.

"They were caused by a weakening of this 'Sabbat's' control over that area. This disruption can be largely attributed to losses taken by the Sabbat campaigns against the New Orleans...Cartel." Rayner stated darkly.

"Let's not get into that right yet, Rayner, it will derail the discussion, but I promise, your questions on that matter will be dealt with." The Chief assured.

"Truly? So far, the rationale for leaving that particular canker sore in place has been stonewalled. For years I have wanted to understand the council's refusal to uproot a continued source of cancerous reality deviancy." Rayner seethed, his annoyance creeping through his normally polished demeanor.

"Then you can wait a few minutes longer until that area comes firmly into play in this chronology of events. For now, return to how our forces were responding." The Chief ordered.

"Very well. Teams were deployed on a continual rotation. Most were clean up teams whose job it was to destroy evidence of reality deviancy in the wake of outbreaks of such issues. A few assault teams cleaned up when areas of infestation were identified, particularly if they were weakened by a rival's assault. With an entire world to monitor and protect we, at times, must make hard choices about the allocation of resources; attack a reality deviancy that is spreading or monitor those that are contained...for the time being."

"Which was this situation?" The Form Keeper asked.

"Contained, if barely. As you can read in my reports, I was scouring the Earth for problems that could be resolved quickly in order to send more manpower to this troubled area. This search had to be called off in order to focus on the rising Manifested problem. In the weeks after Silbern's raid, the rate at which these phenomena appeared rose sharply. Before the Silbern Incident, the number of these Manifested at large was less than one hundred. Two weeks later we had more than a thousand scattered across the globe with more appearing every day." Rayner stated. He gestured and the holoprojector in the council room whirred to life to display a graph in order to illustrate his point.

"When you look at the numbers week by week like that, it almost seems timed. Could their be a sentient force behind this?" The Dissenter pondered.

The room grew quiet. Each member of the Council considered this idea for the first time.

"There is no direct evidence of such, but we will begin some preliminary investigations as soon as we can." Rayner said, chewing over what the Dissenter had said. He was impressed, and yet angry that he did not think of the idea himself.

"Well, some good is coming of this meeting already. Luckily, the numbers seemed to have stabilized at...let's see…" He glanced down at his pad. "...the estimates, taking into account the gradual decrease in Manifestation rates, indicate they will level off at about one hundred thousand. Almost a thousand fold increase from those early months. Even as far removed physically as we are from Earth, I believe we can all recall how chaotic those initial months were." The Chief reminded the group.

"Yes, well, the field agents we dispatched to northern Mexico were trained to clean up Hemophage attacks, or vampires as the common man calls them. They did not know to look for signs of Manifested activity. Our Manifested crews, who were very new, were too overwhelmed with trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to catch all those that were appearing. This crosses over with reports I made two years ago. It was then that I began to lobby for our extermination and clean up units to undergo a more generalized training and to reserve specialized training for larger units so that they may be called in as back up on extreme cases. A plan which, after these events, the Council wisely saw fit to push forward. The second report I made during this crisis lobbied the Council to normalize the Manifested and bring them into the paradigm." Rayner reported.

"The latter sections of your documents did quite a bit more than that." The Disinter said darkly.

"Yes, your private agenda to admit the existence of such deviants as Hemophages and Shapeshifters is as radical as it is ill advised." The Form Keeper said with a haughty demeanor.

"When I originally made a report on that idea, I ran numerous calculations and you can not deny my base conclusion: the consensus of reality is not able to will these beings out of existence. When the Projector fiasco showed us that the revelation of a potential reality deviance might be worked into the paradigm, it only strengthened my arguments. Revelation of their existence combined with a strong media push would let us label them dangerous phenomena to destroy. Exposing them might work far more effectively to our goal of extermination then concealment. The only sticking point that was offered that had real numbers behind it was the amount of human life and military power that would be compromised by such action. With these Manifested worked into the paradigm and harnessed as soldiery to use on such beings, that problem would seem to be addressed." Rayner said with a defiant smile.

"Letting such beings exist in our Paradigm defies the point of having a Paradigm to protect mankind to begin with! Each monster you admit to existing weakens the shield against those who belief does keep at bay! Just like how the admission of psychic phenomena has weakened the backlash against the practice of magic!" The Dissenter exclaimed.

"If one cannot adapt one's theorem to match the data but wishes to adapt the data to match one's theorem, one has stopped being a champion of fact based science and become the champion of a faith based religion." Rayner said, his defiance turning to smug satisfaction.

"I swear if this argument breaks out again I will end this meeting and start taking unilateral steps none of you will like to ensure it does not come up again." The Chief stated with a bang of his hand that was as loud as any gavel.

Rayner took a deep breath while mentally focusing on how good the speaker system was to mimic the sound of the slapping of the table back on Autochthon the Chief had actually hit. He wondered if that table was still standing.

"Some day that issue will be resolved, but for now the majority of the Council, the currently silent majority, are in agreement that such drastic action cannot be undertaken on the limited data we have. It is true we were forced by circumstance to work the ghostly residue of human existence into the Paradigm and that slope allowed psionics to slide in as well, despite having long been a debatable part of our science. We have also been forced to accept the existence of these Manifested due to how public and unhideable their initial appearances became. However, sometimes the most expedient course is not always the proper course. We will not throw away what we have taken so long to build without proper and due consideration and on this I am in complete agreement with our Chief. Bickering in council about our prefered path brings no new data to the table and no new calculations offered so far shine further light on the potential outcomes. Therefore, as always, we stay the course until the data clearly says otherwise." The Form Keeper explained.

"Very well then, let's dig into the minutia of the data available and the timeline of events as best we can reconstruct it. Perhaps the events themselves will prove... revealing." Rayner stated.

* * *

2008

Sovereign State of Chihuahua, Northern Mexico

* * *

Terra sat in the back of the truck with Kai straining to hear. The sounds of fighting had died down in the last few minutes. She was not sure if that was a good sign, however.

When Mike and Axe were brought up to speed on the need to find a medical facility for Kai, Mike had suggested taking one from one of the cartels he and Axe had been 'encouraging' to war with each other. It seemed they kept a facility to patch up their wounded in their local headquarters. Kai had approved of the plan. It then took both Terra and Mike to talk him down from helping secure the site. Terra argued against him exerting himself in combat until they knew how his wound fared. Mike argued that they needed to be sure no survivors would escape to spread tales of a marble skinned warrior attacking their compound.

Kai relented to Mike's points with ill grace and sat seething in the back of the truck. The quiet seemed to bother him more then the sounds of battle.

The minutes stretched on until finally the back door was opened and Mike flashed an irreverent smile at them. "Your medical center is sterilized! You have support staff willing and waiting eagerly to aid you!" He proclaimed.

"How did you manage that? I doubt death threats would make them willing to aid us?" Terra asked doubtfully.

"Nah. I just mind-raped them into helpfulness." Mike said cheerfully.

"You what?!" Terra exclaimed, shocked.

"Good old fashioned mind control. You know charm spells and mental dominance. Do what I say because you think everything I tell you is true and I'm your new best friend or hell I'm your new God. Magic works great on regular folk's minds." Mike said.

"I... I don't think I like the sound of that. Mind rape? Is that something we want to be doing?" Terra said with uncertainty.

"Mind assault, if you prefer, then we..." Mike started

"Just shut your mouth, Mage. You talk too much. Either he controls their minds and then wipes their memories of us, or we will have to execute the doctors and medics. Which do you prefer?" Kai snapped.

"I'd rather they not die. I'd rather you didn't die either. I just...never mind. Let's get inside and get started." Terra said reluctantly.

Terra was worried. Kai had never snapped at her before. He had been quite the gentlemen since their encounter in the cabin. He looked tired. This invasive device had to be hurting him more than he'd been letting on.

Terra half expected to walk past dead bodies and scenes of destruction, however, there were very few signs of a struggle. She did stop to ponder a human shaped shadow on an otherwise faded wall and wondered at what had been done there.

She was surprised to find Mike scrubbing up with the medical techs. He seemed to know what he was doing.

"Do you have medical training or do you have to be there to command the staff?" She asked.

"I know a little, mostly first aid field fixes. I have some very basic life magic. The medical staff will do what you want regardless of whether I'm there or not. I told them to help you so they will. If I can help get us out of here I will. I also might see something you miss. If this bullet is toxic it might also be cursed in some fashion." Mike said simply.

"Alright so long as you know who is the expert here. If you have useful information to volunteer, great, but don't get in the way. What does your life magic do exactly? I need to know how to make use of your talents." Terra asked.

"It's not great. Mostly I can accelerate the natural healing processes. It's good for sealing cuts or holes. Not so great for more serious injuries. The best I've done with bones is cure minor cracks or speed up recovery for already set breaks." Mike admitted.

Terra noded and they went into the surgery room and started to work.

* * *

Twenty Days Later

* * *

Kai stood in front of the X-Ray machine. He was waiting to hear word from the woman behind the screen.

"It is good you can move now. Doctor Alani she says she has the pictures and is looking at them now." The tech said. She was a small Mexican woman; even shorter than Terra.

"Send me Mike." Kai ordered.

"Doctor Alani says your are to rest, sir. I can take you back to your room and bring you some food. Surely you must be hungry?" The little tech responded.

"Woman, I said to send me Mike. You may send him to me in my room. I will make my own way back. You can send him in with food or without, but you will send him to me." Kai ordered.

Kai stood up. He loomed over the small woman and proceeded to make his way into the hall. Loose drawstring shorts and slippers were all he wore. It was quite warm this far south; enough not to bother with a t-shirt. Besides, such simple clothing was all the staff could find to fit his massive frame.

On his way down the hall he pondered what was going on. He had barely seen Terra since the surgery. She would come briefly to look at his wound or give him new physical therapy to speed his recovery. However, unless her expertise was needed, she usually sent the medical staff. When he did see her, her face was an unreadable mask. Mike, on the other hand, he saw more than he cared to. The mage came every day to administer some of his life magic to speed his healing.

He was quite sure they were keeping something from him, but he could not figure out what or why. It was time he found out. He was feeling fine. Physically, he was nearly up to his own personal standards. He did not even have much to complain about the diet Terra put him on. The woman knew nutrition and while it had more vegetable and a lot more fruit than he normally consumed, she kept the protein content high and consistent with the diet he maintained to keep up his extreme muscle mass.

His movement seemed back to normal. His lifting capacity was nearly up to his own high standard. His stamina had taken a slight dip, but not exerting himself for three weeks could account for that. That something was not right and they were keeping it from him was all the more troubling because he could not figure out what it was that they worried about.

Reaching his room, he found food already waiting for him. He pondered not eating until Mike arrived, but he decided that would appear petulant. A leader of men must never appear childish. It was a good and generously portioned meal; a dish of very lean salmon with a mango chutney, thinly sliced baked yams, some diced fruit and a salad of dark greens. All things he had eaten before in the last few days and found good. Things Terra assured him were good for the skin and bones to speed their healing.

Kai had finished half of his large meal when Mike walked into his room. He turned the only other chair in the room around and sat down in it backwards. He didn't say anything but waited.

Kai finished his food not wanting to bother with trying to talk and eat at the same time. He then turned to Mike and asked in his usual blunt way. "What is the woman keeping from me?"

"She's not so much keeping anything from you as much she's trying to solve a problem. She's starting to run out of options, however. I gave her three weeks to study the problem while you healed. We were going to come talk to you tomorrow anyhow."

Kai noded. "Then why wait? Continue."

Mike shrugged "Well that bullet you were shot with was not just any old bullet. It has a talisman inside it that has a spirit bound to it. A toxic spirit of death and corruption. You know, the sort of things Pentex _loves_. They've been marketing them as psychic science, however, so the Technocracy doesn't come down on them. The Technogoons even buy the crap from them. It's stuff they made to kill werewolves; the best they've made for it, in fact. The metal absorbs energy from the body, slowing healing and disrupting its systems. Meanwhile it uses that energy to grow more metal fibers. When Terra cut you open and pulled the original bullet out of your shoulder, she found it had adapted to her cutting the fibers out of your soft tissue. Since then it's changed tactics. That thing has been pushing into your bones. It's burrowing in and carving out your marrow. Then it jumps out for a short strike across a joint and into another bone. Wash, rinse, repeat. If left alone it will hollow out all of your bones then likely stab all of your vital organs all at once. A slower kill than it originally started going for, but no less sure."

"It is adaptive then? Intelligent?" Kai asked flatly.

"Very. It's like a cancer. If any portion of it remains, the spirit can keep it growing. Not a single shard can be missed. Terra thinks she can get it all but it would require breaking every bone in your arm and most of your rib cage. It might even require operations on your spine. Even the way you heal, it would be months at the least for you to recover. No mortal could survive such trauma. If she misses even a scrap it's all for nothing." Mike admitted.

"Can you not kill the spirit? Rob it of its intelligence? Is it animalistic or does it reason?" Kai inquired.

"I can't. I'm not that good with spirits. I can see them, but that's about all I can do. Killing the spirit controlling the tendrils would obviously rob of it's intelligence, maybe even stop it. We're not sure on that part. At the least it would stop adapting to what we do. We think it's learning to syphon of the energy I've been feeding you to heal. It's an animal intelligence, but tenacious and smart. It's not self contemplative. You can't reason with it." Mike elaborated.

"Your opinion and options?" Kai asked directly.

"I think you need a Mage more suited to work with spirits and some hella bad ass healers. Terra might can do for the last part, but we'd need to bring in a spirit expert." Mike admitted.

"Do you know such a Mage and how long to make contact?" Kai asked.

"I do know a guy in Nevada. He's a Dream Speaker. I could get there pretty quick, but there's no way we could all go. I could likely talk him into coming down here, but it's going to be pricey and you in particular know I'm not talking about money. He would know you own him a life debt and he'd call it in for something big later. We're well outside the scope of money." Mike said wincing.

"I despise being in debt. However, I despise the idea of dying like this; unable to fight back even more. Go! Get this Mage. I will pay this debt. My reputation is good. He should believe even you on that." Kai ordered.

"It will take a while. I might be gone a week or so depending on what this guy is doing and what lengths I have to go to in order to find him. I'll leave Axe here to watch your back." Mike offered.

"At least you remember if I die you get no payment." Kai said with gallows humor.

"Hey. It's more than that. What would the world be without a giant Austrian murder machine rampaging through it?" Mike shot back with a sardonic smile.

"Go. Oh, and send Doctor Alani back to me. I will talk with her about this as well." Kai instructed.

Mike nodded and headed out. Kai sat lost in thought. This was not how he was going to die. If he was to die, he would die heroically striving against some great foe. However, he couldn't die yet even so. He had too much unfinished business; getting Terra somewhere safe, completing his contract if he could before dying. If he were well, he knew what he would do. He would deliver Terra to his contacts and if she did not like their treatment he'd spring her and ferry her to one of the many forgotten corners of the world. Perhaps he'd even help to collect others like themselves. He contemplated the idea of dozens of his kind, united, taking on the entire world. A smile crept over his face. That would be a challenge worthy of living for. If he were to die, however, he would have to be sure she would be taken care of; if that meant he'd die with his original contract unfulfilled so be it. He owed her the greater debt. She had struggled twice to save his life and bought him time.

It was then that Terra came into the room. She looked worried. However, Kai could not help but marvel at her beauty. The blossoms in her hair had become quite large and vivid and her nubile figure aroused him to a degree he'd never before experienced. He struggled to put that out of his mind for the time being.

"Kai! Mike said he's leaving! He claimed he's going to find some Indian medicine man to heal you. You don't believe that, do you? He's running out on us!" She cried.

"Did he leave the wolf?" Kai asked calmly.

"Yes! Axe is still here. He's down in the back unloading the latest shipment of supplies the technicians had delivered." Terra said.

"Then Mike will return. He would not betray me. He fears me too much, even as I am now. However, he would never abandon the wolf for different reasons." Kai said.

"Well they aren't lovers I figured that out pretty quick." Terra admitted.

Kai shook his head. "No. They are like brothers. They are comrades in arms. They have, in this world, nothing but each other. Mike knows that without Axe; he would have no one." He gave a derisive snort. "He knows that no one else could stand him. It can be a terrible thing to be alone. As for the wolf, who knows? It is not my place to ask, nor do I find myself curious enough about the subject to find out the particulars." He admitted.

"Even if he's coming back, I don't trust this magic. We need a more advanced facility. We need better technical support. More surgeons." Terra said with worry.

"We do not have these things. What we have is each other and that is what we must rely on. Tomorrow, I want to begin teaching you how to take care of yourself. When we do this surgery it seems I will be down for quite some time. Even with the magics we will use. I want to be sure you can hold your own while I am not there to protect you." Kai offered.

Terra turned away from Kai. "Axe has already been showing me some things. I didn't want to be helpless."

"Oh? You got the silent wolf to talk?" Kai marveled.

Terra turned her head back to Kai "It wasn't that hard. He just doesn't start conversations. If you talk to him, he'll talk back."

"Oh...good. Well, I am glad you are learning things useful to survival. I will show you some tricks I have learned; how to use our inner power. How to turn basic knowledge and that power into something truly impressive." Kai boasted.

"That will be good. I definitely don't want to be captured ever again" Terra admitted.

"Nor will you be. I will meet you in an hour by the barn. We will see what the wolf boy has shown you. First, I will find something better to wear." Kai instructed.

Terra nodded and walked out into the hall. She was several doors away when she began to brush the tears away. She knew what Kai was doing. He wanted to teach her before he died. He might not even admit it to himself, but he was trying to arm her to survive without him.

* * *

Four Days Later

* * *

Terra remained very busy. She worked hard to pick up skills from Axe and to internalize the lessons from Kai in how to shape her essence into the powers he used in combat.

Terra leaned up against a fence post. She was sweating. She put the cold bottle of water against her face then with a swift twist of the cap, put the cool liquid to her lips and drank it down quickly.

"There's plenty more in the chest, Axe. They're all cold." Terra offered.

Axe shrugged and pulled a bottle of beer out of his own chest. The first day after Kai's surgery, she'd asked Axe to teach her to fight. He had nodded and told her to meet him down here just out back of the complex near the wooden fences. She had assumed he would have water or sports drinks in his chest but all it contained was beer. Terra did not fancy beer. Its flavor was questionable at best, nor was she keen on its health effects. Since then she'd brought her own cooler and tried to persuade Axe to drink something else. Instead he did the same thing every evening. He drank a beer then put the bottle up on the fence post. He would then walk back toward the safehouse. He'd stand about 30 feet away then he pick up one of his hatchets and toss it shattering the bottle. He'd drink another while walking over to retrieve the hatchet, put that bottle up on the post and continue breaking bottles until he missed one. At that point he'd go to bed and sleep.

"Axe, how did you meet Mike?" Terra asked.

"He was running from some guys. He took a shortcut through my junkyard." Axe said.

"You owned a junkyard?" Terra inquired.

"No. I just guarded it. Mom was going to see what the noise was and one of the guys chasing Mike shot her. Killed her instantly. I went crazy. Killed them all. It's sort of hazy. When I woke up, Mike had bandaged me up. I got hurt and didn't even feel it. I looked over and saw him digging a hole to bury mom. That's when I turned into a human for the first time." Axe said. He stopped to take a long pull from his beer

"So your mom...was the junkyard dog?" Terra asked carefully to make sure she understood.

"Yeah, mostly wolf hybrid. She wasn't really a dog. I guess dad was the werewolf, but I never met him. Not sure who he is, really." Axe said with a shrug.

"And you've been together ever since? Does Mike have any family?" Terra asked.

"He has a younger brother, but they're not close. All of his close family died that night. The men that killed mom shot them before Mike made it to the junkyard. Mike's family were all hedge mages. They were pretty proud Mike awakened, but his younger brother got jealous and ran off to Europe. Kai's met him. That was part of what we needed Kai's help for, he'd been kidnaped by a Tzimisce _voivode_. That's sort of a powerful vampire noble. Kai helped us break him free. Killed Mike's brother's girlfriend in the process. He was pretty broken up about that. He told Mike he never wanted to see him again." Axe explained.

"Wait why did you kill his girlfriend?" Terra asked confused.

"She's the one who set him up to be captured. She was working for the voivode. Gabe didn't seem to care." Axe shrugged

"Gabe is his brother, I guess? Short for Gabriel?" Terra offered.

Axe just nodded.

Terra pondered these revelations while drinking a second bottle of water. She looked up to find Axe gone. Turning around in a circle, she found him staring around the corner of the building toward the gate. Towards the compound's outer fence.

"What's going on?" Terra asked.

"Someone's coming. A caravan. Send the technicians back into the buildings." Axe said without excitement.

Terra herded the few technicians in the right direction while Axe ran to the gate. Just before he got there, a truck horn started to blow and orders barked out from the cab in Spanish. Axe snapped back in a passable imitation of a North Mexican accent that was far from his normal unexcited tone. He climbed up to the walkway over the gate and began to open it. He motioned for Terra to take up position behind some stacked crates where he and Mike had set up defensive positions in case the compound was attacked.

Behind the crates Terra found several automatic weapons. While this was not the sort of weapon she had been working with, she was going to give her all to help Axe wipe out these men before they had a chance to find them out. She did still have the pistol she had been practicing with when working with Kai. He had suggested she take to wearing it to get used to having a holster on her.

There was a large service truck, the sort most Americans called an eighteen wheeler whether or not it had the set amount of wheels, a large van and two off road modified pickup trucks. The men got out and started to talk, they milled about slowly as if they did not know what to do. They looked about and realized there was no one to greet them or help them unload. They called out angrily, only to be answered by a softball sized object lobed into the largest group of men.

Terra took the grenades ensuing explosion as Axe's signal to start firing. She was quite surprised at how hard to handle the weapons were. The weapon's continued fire kept pulling her aim away from where she wanted to shoot. She started aiming low to account for the upward drift. Kai made this look easy. He also never seemed to fire on continuous stream like these guns were set to do. She realised he normally fired short staccato bursts of bullets. This way seemed to run out of ammo quickly and not hit much. It did have a remarkable effect in how it panicked those in the line of fire and made them dive for cover.

She had little time to spare at looking at Axe up on the walkway and so was surprised when she saw him in the middle of the trucks she stopped firing for fear of hitting him and ducked behind her barrier. Bullets continued to ring out joined by the sounds of screams and the occasional sound of meat being sliced.

Terra took a deep breath pulled out her pistol. She called on her inner strength. She then stepped out from her cover. Two men were just approaching her wall of crates. She emptied her mind of anything but what was going on right now. She lifted her gun and shot one in the face just how Kai had shown her. She did a quick duck and shoulder strike she'd learned from Axe. She had learned she could channel some of her inner power into this strike and its effects were magnified. The hit struck the man in the stomach with the force of her shoulder knocking him over. Before Kai's training to shoot downed foes could take over, she did something else by instinct. Terra seemed to feel the potential of her inner power and went with that tingly flow. She rolled with the man as he fell and turned her strike into a hold. Her arm moving up his body, she took him in the neck and pulled him over in front of her. Being taller, he was stooped over, his neck wedged under her arm. His bulk was now between her and the other remaining hostiles. She started to fire her pistol using the man as a somewhat unwieldy human shield.

Terra managed to score several hits while Axe raced about, his hatchet a whirl in his right hand. In his left he fired a gun. Once spent, he dropped it and drew his other hatchet. It was then that Kai exited the main building.

"What is going on here?!" He yelled as he lifted a nearby potted plant over his head and hurled it, striking one of the attackers. Terra shot the man before he could recover.

Kai's keen eyes swept the area. There was only one straggler left. "Look out! one is going for the gate!" He yelled as he sprinted forward in search of a weapon.

Terra took aim and fired, but only winged the moving target. Axe lined up his shot and hurled his right hatchet. It sank into the meat between the neck and shoulders. The fleeing man dropped, but struggled to rise.

Terra dashed towards the fallen man and pulled his gun out of his reach. She then knelt to examine the shoulder wound. The man was alive, but weak. Blood welled up around the hatchet blade. It had sliced in very deeply.

Kia approached. He was talking to Axe as he did. "Why did you not turn into your monstrous form?"

"Not sure how it'd affect her, plus it's easier to use a gun without claws." Axe said in a matter of fact tone.

"I can save this man. We may need information about who these people are and where they come from." Terra advised.

"Intelligence would be useful." Kai affirmed with a nod.

"The vampires in the van likely know more." Axe replied.

"Vampires?" Kai asked.

"How do you know there are vampires in there?" Terra asked.

Axe simply tapped his nose as he started walking toward the truck.

"Save this man. Use the medical technicians and get him inside. If there are vampires in the vehicle he is most likely a Ghoul; a blood junkie. Addictions make people easily broken. We will have our information." Kai explained as he followed Axe.

"Hey... hey! You'll wanna come see this!" Axe called out with just the faintest excitement.

Kai raised an eyebrow and started to jog over to the large cargo truck. Terra yelled for the medics who rushed out, creepily eager to please. Once the injured man was hauled back into the buildings, she saw Kai wave for her to come. Terra headed over genuinely curious in what could have the taciturn Kai and imperturbable Axe excited.

Both simply moved out of Terra's way so she could see into the back of the truck. Inside was an unconscious Hispanic female. She looked to be no more than twenty years old. Her hair was a dark, orangish red that seemed to shed light in the dark trailer. Her skin had an almost metallic sheen to its warm bronze tones. The scent of cinnamon permeated the space. Terra sucked in her breath.

"She's one of us! How did she end up here?" Terra asked looking at Kai.

"I do not know. But I intend on finding the answer. Take her inside. See what is wrong with her. I suspect she is drugged. Axe and I must secure the vampires as prisoners until we can interrogate them." Kai ordered.

"Poor thing. We'll find out what happened." Terra nodded lifting the young woman up.

"Yes. After those that took her are _thoroughly_ interrogated." Kai said darkly, his Austrian accent seeming more pronounced and casting a much more menacing tone over his words.

* * *

Very Late That Night

* * *

Valentina woke up in a comfortable bed in a strange room. Considering the predicament she had been in when she was knocked out, this was very disorienting. She was not restrained in any way, but an IV was connected to her arm. She sat up and looked around the room. A young woman sat in a chair by the door. The woman gave Valentina a smile.

"You are awake! Be calm. All is well. I will go get the doctor." The slight young woman said.

Valentina waited nervously until the doctor arrived. To her great surprise, she was like her! She had the power. She was short, but unlike her attendant, she was curvaceous with a near perfect hourglass figure. Her hair was a riot of tropical flowers in vibrant hues and small vines connected them. The way they were interlaced in her hair meant that they were not artificial or mere adornments; even the most skilled weaver could not have worked such artifice. They were part of her natural body.

"Hello. I am Dr. Alani. You may call me Terra if you like. My Spanish is not wonderful, but I hope it will pass. We have rescued you from the men who took you captive. You are safe with us." Terra said in a reassuring tone.

"I'm Valentina Romero. Those things are not men! Don't let them fool you! They're blood drinkers! Vampires! They have others of our kind captured! They do terrible things to them! You must not underestimate them!" Valentina implored rapidly.

"I doubt that will be a problem. There are members of our group interrogating them now. They know what they are. They have killed their kind before. I myself was experimented on, not by vampires, but by the Government of the United States. If there is anything we can do for the others still held captive, we will. Rest and recover your strength. I'll let the others know you've awakened. I'm sure you have a thousand things you want to tell us, but for now, rest. When they are through with the vampires, they will come talk to you. Save your energy for then, alright?" Terra kindly instructed. She helped the young woman reach a more comfortable sitting position and then left.

Alone, Valentina dared hope this was not some sort of sick game. She dared hope she was truly free.

Terra made her way down to the basement where Kai and Axe had gone to muffle the sounds of their dark work. Terra asked if Kai and Axe were going to torture the vampires. Kai had told her he was not; he was going to interrogate them. Kai had revealed to her that interrogation was as much a psychological skill as it was a physical one. It involved inspiring terror but also confusion. It worked best through fear and the implication of what one might do to achieve information. Manipulating the mind's natural coping mechanisms was key. Kai planned to bring forth a sort of artificial Stockholm Syndrome, where the captive sought assist the captor. Too much fear and pain and the subject would say whatever the tormentor wanted to hear, ruining the effectiveness of the interrogation. Torture proper was generally done by those who found it fun and had little purpose beyond inflicting pain and suffering. Terra had sensed the truth in what he said and knew not all of what she had experienced in the cells in Virginia was interrogation.

Still, she did not wish to be any part of the dark work down in the basement. She could kill these men, perhaps even brutally, for how they had beaten that girl. She was hardly more than a teenager if that! But inflicting pain, be it mental or physical, didn't sit well with her. She was a healer first and foremost. She would not let her enemies take that form her.

The basement had a torture chamber. Kai and Axe had moved the sealed coffins into it before night rose and there they stood, waiting. Kai and Axe had told her not to enter. They would spare her seeing what they did. However, her curiosity was getting the better of her. She imagined no matter what they were doing down there, she would imagine worse. She also had never seen Axe in any form but his human one. With the need to inform Kai quickly of their guest's awakening, she decided to risk going into the one way mirrored viewing room.

Inside the room she saw a vampire had been literally nailed to a wooden table. Kai was standing over him, talking. The table was cast in a island of light in the dark room. Something moved in that dimness. Terra watched, fascinated. A human would have died of shock from such injuries. The living dead, she surmised, had no such recourse. More than that, however, the shape in the darkness intrigued her. Finally it stepped between her and the table and she let out a gasp. Axe, for that is who it had to be, was just over 10 feet tall. His body was humanoid with claws and shaggy hair. His head was that of a wolf, but the eyes. He had the same blue eyes. She quite belatedly realized why his eyes looked so odd. They were not a human blue. They looked quite like those of a Siberian Husky. He turned to the glass and let out a mournful howl.

Terra backed up, despite herself. She had thought, for a moment, he could see her before she realized his eyes were not following her, but his ears were twitching slightly, obviously listening to her movements. Kai turned to look at the glass. Terra carefully picked up the intercom. and mustered her coldest voice.

"Their prisoner is awake. We may not need them anymore." Terra declared.

"Ahh! Good! I have to go see her! I will not be long." Kai said to the vampire good naturedly, as if he were speaking of taking an evening stroll.

"NO! Don't leave me alone in here not with... with that thing! I've seen what Lycanthropes can do! You leave and there won't be anything left of me when you get back!" The vampire cried out.

"I suppose I can take him with me. You have been rather cooperative. Let us see if your information checks out with the girl's story." Kai mused.

"I have more! Umm...the delivery way in! It's not for prisoners! There's a door for mundane cargo! it's not as heavily guarded. Just ghouls and shovelhead wannabes mostly. The electric security is better. More cameras. They're for watching to see if the goons are slacking off, not really for invasion. Central security is more likely to think an alarm from there is a false alarm, caused by some idiot or a would be thief rather than an attack!" The vampire babbled desperately.

"Hmm. That is good. Keep thinking about that place. I will take the wolf with me for now." Kai said as he stepped out of the dark room and into the corridor. The corridor's lights were off too to add to the illusion. Once the inner door was closed it opened into the bright outer hall.

Terra circled to meet them. She saw Axe shifting his body, returning to human shape. Kai frowned at her.

"We warned you not to come down here. You are lucky. The sight of a werewolf can have dire effects on the minds of most people." Kai stated sternly.

"It doesn't seem to affect you. I think I've proven my strength of will is equal to your own." Terra said matter of factly.

"You are indeed my equal. I know your will is strong. However, it is not strictly a matter of will. Some are affected by the werewolf aura of madness. Some are not. Sometimes the immunity is a genetic trait, this is most common among humans that are related to werewolves. Inhuman status also confers immunity. Power or strength of will does not matter; even un-awakened sorcerers and magicians are affected." Kai explained.

"The powers we have must protect us from whatever side effects it causes; as we are both immune." Terra reasoned.

"I do not know. I was immune before these powers came to me." Kai said with uncertainty.

"Why were you immune?" Terra asked.

"Because he has werewolf blood. His family was bred by the Silver Fangs, the ruling clan, to help them influence the Germanic princes. They were never powerful nobles but rather trusted knights and lieutenants that spread through the German houses." Axe chimed in uncharacteristically.

Terra glanced over and her eyes widened. She was quite surprised to find Axe standing naked, completely unbothered by his nudity.

"The delirium can drive people to madness. People have experienced catatonia, hallucinations, delusions, or even psychotic rage. I really didn't want to have to fight you. Now that we know you're immune, however, it's all good." Axe said.

"Wait, Kai's family is made up of werewolves?" Terra asked.

"There has not been a werewolf in the Silbern family in over one hundred years." Kai stated flatly.

"There's Alex." Axe countered.

"Alex has the same name but his people emigrated to America after the Second World War. They were from the Prussian Silbern family, not the Austrian branch. As well he is the first that branch had seen in well over a hundred years as well." Kai explained.

"Who is Alex?" Terra inquired.

"A werewolf. Mike and I used to work for him. He was from California but moved to New Orleans. He's one of the guys in charge of the city's supernatural community." Axe explained.

"It matters not. The point is that the miniscule amount of werewolf blood that I possess protected me. Perhaps our power protects you. Perhaps not. Evidence seems to point more towards the former now that we know you are unaffected." Kai admitted.

"I am going upstairs and see this woman. Perhaps she can shed more light on what these vampires are plotting. The information gleaned from the interrogation of the prisoner points to nothing good. It appears they have been studying our kind's blood and its reaction to vampiric blood in hopes of creating super vampires that have the Fire type manifested immunity to flames." Kai explained.

"That doesn't sound good at all." Terra said with trepidation.

Axe put on some clothing and the trio went upstairs to where their guest was recuperating. Out of the four of them only Kai did not speak Spanish. As such, they conversed in English. While Valentina was at first nervous of Kai, she quickly grew relaxed in his presence. Once she started talking about the horror that she'd been forced to face, it was as if the flood gates opened and it all started spewing out in a rush. Kai listened, his concern evident on his face. Terra held her hand and was comforting. Axe sat by the door staring off into space lost in thought.

"But the worse is the the shapers! The ones that can warp flesh. They found our ability to heal intriguing. What they did to us was curious and strange. The flesh shapers made a game of toying with us, trying to twist our bodies in ways that we could not heal. The things they did were gruesome and grotesque! I wanted to kill myself! The others made them change me back for another test. The ones who look like corpses. They seemed exasperated by the flesh shaper's games." Valentina said in a numb tone.

"They are known as the Tzimisce, but their nickname, even among the other blood drinkers, is the Fiends. It is a well deserved moniker. I have killed their kind before, even before these powers came to me. It appears we will have to do so again." Kai said.

Axe looked over questioningly. "We will?"

"Yes we will! We can't let them continue such atrocities! If we don't act, it will embolden others to treat our kind as animals to be locked away for experimentation!" Terra exclaimed.

"The others are likely Harbingers of the Skull. They're old. According to rumor they are Cappadocians; the precursors to the Giovanni clan. They'll be skilled in hedge magic and necromancy, perhaps even some blood sorcery. We need Mike if we want to go up against that." Axe said flatly.

"We cannot stay here long. The mage will have to catch up if he does not return quickly. You will have to leave him a different claw message. We will rescue those of us they hold captive." Kai said.

Axe nodded, but he still had a questioning look on his face.

"It is a matter of pragmatism. If, in time, they cannot make some sort of super vampire out of their captives, they will turn to researching ways to kill them. I will not give my enemies a leg up in learning how to face me. I am known to the Tzimisce as an enemy. How long before they come for me armed with such information?" Kai explained.

Axe gave a small shrug and looked out the window.

"We'll have to prep to leave. Neither Kai, Valentina, or myself can afford to be seen, so Axe will have to drive the truck." Terra started.

"I don't drive" Axe said simply.

"Well you'll have to make an exception." Terra continued.

"He means he does not know how." Kai interrupted.

"Doesn't know how? How can you not know how to drive?" Terra asked.

"Never seemed to have the knack. Get one of the medical techs to drive us." Axe proposed.

"Why did Mike never teach you to drive? It's a really useful skill to have." Terra asked, puzzled.

"He tried. I was just really bad at it. I better go leave that message." Axe said loping out quickly. Terra wrinkled her brow, anger and puzzlement playing across her face.

"Driving would give him more independence. It might increase the chances he would leave the mage. I told you they are codependent." Kai explained.

"I don't think that is technically what they are, from a diagnosis standpoint." Terra said. Kai ignored her comment and rounded on the Latino girl.

"What of you, woman? Do you have any skill at fighting?" Kai asked.

"I can handle myself in a fight. Well, I mean a bar fight sort of thing. I know how to shoot. I used to hunt sometimes at my father's ranch. I've never had to kill until a few days ago, but I can. I did once and I will again. They do not deserve to live." Valentina said fiercely.

"They do not. We will go free the others and end their captor's lives. I must go see what I can do to finish our preparations and the interrogation of our prisoners." Kai stated.

Terra looked over Valentina. "You still need rest, but you should be fine tomorrow. I'll send someone to bring you food." She proclaimed.

.

A stubborn look came over Valentina's face she looked as if she wanted to get up right then. Suddenly, Kai reached over and took Valentina's hand in his huge one, completely engulfing it. "It is morning now. Tonight will be the last night for the vampires that are here. We will leave the following dawn. Everyone must be prepared. Like us, you have shown great strength. We will need your strength beside us. Do as Dr. Alani tells you and you will recover quickly. She healed me when I was injured and I am better for it." He said reassuringly.

Valentina flushed slightly. "I will." She nodded.

Kai nodded, patted her hand and strode out of the room. Valentina looked at Terra. "I'm sorry, but are you two together?" She asked returning to Spanish.

"No. Not really. It's complex. Our kind seem to have a very high libido." Terra admitted.

"Oh? I guess so. His accent is pretty cute. It's like Conan." Valentina answered back.

"Just rest. I'll send food." Terra said as she left.

Terra ordered the staff to bring Valentina food and to clean the safe house. She ordered them to remove all evidence that they had ever been there. She then returned to the lab. She lingered over one last test. She shook her head. Three separate tests all yielding the same result. She then turned to the brainwashed staff member lingering in the corner.

"Burn all of this in the incinerator. We're leaving nothing behind for anyone to find. Nothing about any of us can remain." Terra ordered.

They had to work quickly. She resisted the urge to feel attached to his place, but the last month had felt so good. It was almost normal. Actually being able to stay in one place, not having to be constantly on the move. They had needed this place, but it was no longer a haven. She realized they needed another like it. Somehow they had to find a permanent safe haven. She knew there were timers counting down to disaster if they did not.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** First I'd like to thank all the readers and doubly thank those that have commented on the story. In response to comments, this has been edited for clarity as of 11/9/2015. I added a paragraph where the action starts and a few lines at the end.

* * *

2012

Dark Side of the Moon, Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

"We theorized, of course, how dangerous these Manifested could be; even to enhanced conventional forces. However, it was the Mexico City incident that proved this theory. Their ability to destroy the more powerful reality deviants is unmatched, even by our latest Hit Mark creations," Claus said, his almost bored, factual tone masking his air of triumph.

"These numbers are rather telling," the Chief said, nodding as he reviewed his data pad.

"Yes. Mexico City had what was, by all accounts, the highest ratio of hemophages to humans in the world. Our most recent estimate, prior to the incident, put nearly three hundred of them in the city. After the incident; half of them were dead," Claus said, a ghost of a smile playing across his lips.

The Dissenter shuffled through a few papers in front of him while consulting his own tablet. "Other reports on the incident make it clear that Kai Silbern was not the only Manifested combatant. Infact, is it not true that he had outside, non-Manifested aid as well?"

Claus paused for just a moment. Annoyance crept across his face, but quickly subsumed back into his impassive mask. "Yes, this is true. He had at minimum; Doctor Alanni and an unknown Fire-type individual. There is evidence of a shapeshifter and at least one, possibly more, deviant will worker. Given where he went next, I have a strong suspicion as to their origin," Claus said with a hint of distaste in his voice.

"Perhaps, but we'll get to that in a moment. Let's parse through this combat data for conclusions. I want to pay special attention to lethality and how severe the power curve of these Manifested grew over the some six odd weeks before this assault verses the last one," the Chief said.

With that, the projection display changed, displaying the minutia of the evidence from the combat zone.

* * *

April 13th, 2008

Mexico City

* * *

Kai opened a tin of sardines and fished an oversized can of beer out of Axe's cooler. He slowly ate the salted fish, punctuating each one with a long drink of beer. He grimaced both at the beer (it was American) and at Terra's disapproving glare. For the last several days, they had been hiding just outside of Mexico City in the back of an abandoned building.

Due to the strong inhuman features of the three Manifested; Kai, Terra and Valentina were forced to remain indoors for security's sake. This left only Axe and the four remaining mind controled staff from the cartel's compound able to venture out beyond the makeshift safe house.

Somewhat surprising to Kai, Terra had been most vocal for the immediate rescue of the prisoners. He had assumed it would be Valentina pressuring him into actions. However, Valentina seemed more reluctant to return to the site of her previous torments. As such the trio settled into a pattern of Terra urging action, Kai forbidding it, and Valentina remaining carefully neutral.

"How long are we going to sit around eating crap and watching while prisoners continue to suffer out there?" Terra finally asked, breaking the silence.

"As long as it takes for Mike to return. We will then plan our assault when he returns. I will not jump into a viper's nest until I know I have every resource available to extract myself when our job is complete," Kai said while licking the fishy oils off his finger tips.

"What if some of them are dying right now!?" Terra asked defiantly.

"They have been kept alive this long, I do not think that will change. If the vampires were going to kill them, it would have been done by now. If they were weak enough to be driven insane, they would be mad by now. If Valentina's escape has triggered a violent response, it would have happened a week ago, before we even found her. Now, I have countered all your arguments at once so we can skip the next few questions. I think now I will enjoy this cherry flavored frozen treat. You will sulk and ball up your fists and I will offer one to Valentina who will likely pick ether grape or jicama," Kai said in a calm voice.

"Jicama, please," Valentina said with a smile.

"Just as well. I do not care for those," Kai said, passing one of the popsicles over to her.

Terra balled her fists together. She then quickly unclenched them, annoyed that she did exactly what Kai said she would. She tried to open a book and read, but it was a futile task. The lack of anything of substance to do was starting to fray her nerves. While there had been rest at the compound, they had also seen progress. This idle sitting was not for her.

Half an hour later Axe returned. He entered the back door with a large sack of ice and a new case of beer. He walked in and, following a daily routine he had developed, poured the ice in the chest before ripping open the beer case to restock the cooler. Terra then realized someone else had walked in behind Axe.

"Hell! I leave for a few days and you find another woman? Now that's a Mexican firecracker over there! Where did you pick that up?" Mike asked with a smug smile.

"Mike!" Terra said bolting up from her seat.

"Aww! She missed me! See, boss? Always happens when you have more than one woman. They get jealous and their eyes wander," he quipped.

"If you came back alone, I am going to toss you through the window in the front room and send you back," Kai said matter-of-factly, not even bothering to look up.

Mike cleared his throat dramatically. "Might I present David Redfern," he said, moving out of the doorway.

For a moment Terra was disappointed. She had expected someone a little more dramatic looking than a Native American man in his late forties wearing blue jeans, a white cotton t-shirt and grey sneakers. She then childed herself for being silly. Mike looked completely normal as well, at least until he opened his mouth. She hoped this David Redfern had a better personality.

"Hey. I hear you have a spirit problem. We can take a look at that now if you'd like," David said with a smile

"I do not see why not," Kai said with a shrug. He stood up to his full impressive height.

David circled Kai. He had an intense look on his face. He rounded the Austrian giant several times and then nodded while letting out a whistle.

"Yup. You've got a spirit in there. Poison and corruption; metallic poisoning to be specific. We'll have to remove the metals from your bones to destroy it. That means we can't do it here." He stole a glance at the map. "It looks like you have something else going on, though," He said.

"Vampires. The Sabbat faction. They have six of our kind captive. They are being flesh warped and tortured. I have the beginnings of a plan to save them. Mexico City is the bastion of power for the Sabbat in the New World. Their defenses are formidable, however, as they are expecting attacks from either the New Orleans cartel or the Camarilla, who is waging an increasingly hot war on their allied drug cartels. So, we will give the Sabbat exactly what it is expecting; a large scale invasion. At least that is what we will make them think is happening." Kai explained.

David looked down at the map again. "These would be the locations they most want to defend?"

Kai pointed at marked spots on the map. "This is where they induct and house the new vampires. This is their headquarters. That is the armory for their heavy weapons; missiles, explosives that sort of thing. This is where our targets are kept: magical research laboratory. It is all underground. It once belonged to the rouge Tremere that were Sabbat," Kai said

David nodded while looking at the map. Mike glanced at it while fishing a beer out of the cooler.

Mike spoke up. "So what are you thinking? Hit all those points in quick succession, then while their soldiers scramble to cover and watch for an outer attack, hit the labs?"

"No. We hit them all at once; mere moments before we attack the labs. Axe strikes here. You strike the weapons depot. We send the mind controlled 'volunteers' in a truck full of explosives to detonate at the headquarters. Out of respect for Terra's sentiments, I have only kept the most morally repugnant of those you brainwashed. While Terra, Valentina and myself strike the labs," Kai said.

"I can take out the weapons depot," David offered abruptly.

Kai looked up, stunned somewhat at this gesture. "Are you sure? Why would you wish to put yourself in danger?"

"I don't like vampires and the faster we get this over with, the faster we can get out of here and get you to a place where that spirit can be properly excised." He turned back to the map. "This is a gas main. I can send spirits of earth and fire to attack this building with an earthquake. The fire spirits can ignite the gas and some of the explosives inside. Chain reactions will take care of the rest. Once each attack is over, we join you at the lab I take it?"

Kai nodded. "Yes." He considered David's offer. "If that is so, I could move Mike to striking this." He pointed. "The largest cluster of officer level vampires live there."

Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is this volunteering me for attacking a bunch of experienced bruisers?! Fuck that shit! I'm not paradox bait," Mike exclaimed.

Kai snorted. "Then how else would you suggest you contribute to the plan?"

David looked at Mike critically. "This from the same man that destroyed the Nextworld bunker in Afghanistan? That blew up the Daughters of Cacophony concert in Paris? The very man who fought in the battle of San Diego? Who went toe to toe with the Nagloper of Cairo? I hadn't heard he was a total pussy, unwilling to take a little risk and get some paradox."

Mike glowered silently.

Terra caught on to what he was doing and decided to join in. "You mean he really can do something other than complain?"

David nodded. "Supposedly, although that might just all be crap, especially given his attitude. He and the werewolf over there have a reputation for being indestructible, for surviving anything tossed at them. It's almost enough to overcome their reputation for being trouble magnets and grifters who will steal your fillings out of your teeth," he explained.

"I'd never have known. All he's done is bitch and moan the whole time I've known him," Terra said.

"Fine! I'll do it, but I don't see how this is contributing to our payday. You better be able to negotiate a bonus for this when we get to the drop off point," Mike said, complaining

"I told you. You will be compensated for your time. That is all you need concern yourself with," Kai said firmly.

"Yeah, yeah," Mike said. "So when do we do this?"

"Why not now?! It's still light!" Terra said, chiming in.

"No. The vampires will have their day defenses up. They will not rush into the wrong directions during the day. Each location will be sealed up like a fortress. The ruse would not work; they will not think an army of their fellow vampires are attacking them during the day. We sleep then we move into position to attack at nightfall," Kai explained.

"I don't think I could sleep know…. nerves you know," Valentina said.

"Doctor Alani, if you would please administer a light sleep aid to those who need it that would be most helpful. Perhaps double for yourself. I know how eager you have been for action. You will, however, fight better if you are rested," Kai said.

With that, he lay down upon the pallet he been using as a bed on the floor and promptly fell asleep. To Terra's annoyance, Mike put his sunglasses on and dropped into a chair. He reclined back into almost the same position he'd been in when they first met.

"I've got a travel camper. I won't intrude on your hospitality," David said as he began to head back outside.

Valentina quirked a smile and nodded toward Axe. He had curled up in a ball in the middle of a pile of old blankets.

"I still can't believe he sleeps like that. It's like he was a dog," she said.

"Apparently it comes naturally to him. Come on. I'll get you something to help you sleep," Terra said. She headed to the rather extensive medical supplies she had taken with them from the cartel's medical center. Leafing through the stash she nodded and presented Valentina with a small pill.

"Take it with water. Not beer. You don't want to mix this with alcohol," Terra said.

Valentina looked at her quizzically. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I think I wore myself out from worry. I should sleep well," Terra said with a sardonic grin.

Both women went to their makeshift beds. Terra stared at the ceiling. She tried to blank her mind to reach a state of meditation, like Kai had suggested, to banish the worry she held that was twisting her insides like a knot. Eventually, despite her anxiety, it worked.

* * *

Former Tremere Antitribu Chantry, Dusk.

* * *

The guards at the chantry hated their jobs. They were humans who didn't have the wide array of benefits that came with being a ghoul. The Sabbat didn't believe in wasting vampiric blood on mortal scum. Which was exactly how they treated their living help.

The Sabbat was, however, free with the promotion to vampire. The caveat was that most of the vampires the Sabbat created still had to pass through a baptism by fire. Its neophytes were often used as shock troops in one of the faction's many wars. It was not much of an upgrade from mortal flunky.

Guarding the former residence of Tremere antitribu had to be one of the worst jobs for a vampire thrall in Mexico City. It was extraordinarily creepy. A sort of chilly pall hung around the area. The stories the guards traded did not help; particularly the ones revolving around the mysterious deaths of the building's former occupants. The fact that the corpse-like Harbingers of the Skull had taken up residence in the Tremere's place had not improved the building's reputation: not to mention the near constant presence of some of the least stable members of Clan Tzimisce who had chosen to join these new tenants.

Just last week, one of the Fiends had tried to graft a Fire Manifested's lungs into one of the mortals. He'd died of some sort of extreme organ rejection. The Fiend's had made no effort to save the man.

However, both guards jumped to when their radios called for them to pull back to the center for reassignment. It seemed some sort of major attack had struck the city. Both reported in the affirmative just before a sound like two balloons rupturing in quick succession rang out.

Moments later, Kai stepped over the two headless corpses, pausing only to pick up their key rings. "Remember the training I gave you. Stick close to myself and each other," he said, giving orders his companions. Both women nodded and took a weapon each from the fallen to add to the supplies they had.

* * *

Rescue workers were rushing to the scene of a devastating truck bomb that had leveled a commercial building complex. Investigators found little evidence from the site of the vaporized truck. There was not a shred of the remains of those that drove the truck. No one knew who they were; the four mad men that had charged past the parking lot security booth and rammed the building's lobby. Large pockets of fire raged almost unchecked. Many wondered why the fire departments from elsewhere in the city were not coming to aid the disaster site.

* * *

Across the city mortal firefighters were struggling to contain the horrific fire that had engulfed several warehouses in the wake of a massive blast that had struck the area. These warehouses had been empty and supposedly abandoned, but the fire threatened to spread if not contained. David Redfern watched with binoculars from a few blocks away and nodded before coolly striding back into the street.

The blast had been much larger than he expected. Idly he wondered just what the Sabbat had been keeping in there. He dismissed those worries with the knowledge whatever it had been, it would never be used now.

* * *

Elsewhere, people fled in terror. Their minds were unable to process the image of a monstrous, pony sized wolf covered from its head to its paws in thick sticky blood. Their later statements on the creature would be attributed to the general panic and confusion in the city during the fires. The massive canine charged through back streets and alleys. Axe spared no thought to his fallen foes; he knew others he claimed companionship with were going into danger and needed it.

* * *

Mike, meanwhile, glared into a very large mirror in a high end furniture store. It reflected not the store around him, but the heart of the lair of the city's vampires. It was the building Kai had directed him to attack. It held the regent of the Sabbat itself. Knowing the defenses around that one would be too great to penetrate, Mike had resolved instead to send the elders scrambling for shelter by assassinating one of the resident members of the congress that ruled the Sabbat, the Consistory.

The particular Lasombra's meeting room was filled with large mirrors. She took delight in forcing those who met with her to deal with the unnerving sight of themselves reflected in the mirrors while she was not. Unfortunately for her, Mike had learned a few tricks to keep up with Axe's ability to use reflective surfaces to enter and traverse the spirit world. He stepped through the mirror and appeared right beside her, both of his hands aglow with magic. He opened his right hand. In his palm, flames appeared and grew to such an intensity as to liquify stone. He then, with an almost flippant gesture, directed it to flow outward in a cone and engulf the room. The glass of the other mirrors that did not immediately shatter, twisted and melted like wax in the extreme heat. The flames incinerated the door and spread panic down the hall. Seeing that the powerful Lasombra elder still lived, Mike dodged a blow. He then opened his other hand and released the more vulgar spell he had readied. She might have survived the initial blast, but that was mudane fire. This spell was a far from mundane energy. As he was a master of the mystic powers of Forces and Prime, he conjured forth around her a flame that consumed not only the body but the very essence of her being. Not even a howl escaped the rapidly vanishing form as the hellish flames consumed all that she was.

Stepping backwards, Mike exited through the soot covered mirror in the Lasombra's chambers and back into the furniture store. He studied the image still projected before him to ensure his powerful adversary was indeed dead. When satisfied that she would not be regenerating, he struck the mirror with a swift kick shattering it and breaking the magical connection he had wrought. Without a backwards glance, he made his exit out the rear of the store and melted into the crowd.

* * *

The elevator into the Tremere antitribu chantry ran down deep into the very bedrock. Neither Terra nor Valentina enjoyed the feeling of being so entombed in the earth, but to Kai it seemed invigorating. He sported the black tactical armor he had used to rescue Terra. he had patched the hole where the bullet in his shoulder had blown through. The women had no armor but had mastered some of the skin strengthening powers Kai taught them. It was the best that he could do for them on such short notice.

The battle plan Kai crafted had held thus far. While he normally disparaged firing weapons full auto, this place was an exception. Normally such actions were used only for suppression or by amateurs who did not know to conserve ammunition.

Vampires, however, as well as the flesh warped war ghouls the Tzimisce created, were notoriously hard to terminate. Thus both the female manifested guarded his flank with long bouts of automatic fire. As instructed they used their assault rifles for this purpose. When not pressed, they put them away and used pistols to ensure downed foes stayed down with two quick shots to the temple or side of the skull.

The trio proceeded slowly, methodically chewing through the ranks of guards like a machine. They were expending a great deal of ammunition, but it was a fair trade in carnage. Each woman held two other weapons in reserve; a shotgun and a sub machine gun for when the assault rifles ran out of ammunition. The less bulky sub machine guns were for continuing suppressive fire. The shotguns were for when they ran into things a bullet to the head might not have success in terminating.

"We are near the holding cells. Remember the Tzimisce are likely to flesh warp into a form where the head or heart is hard to find. If that happens, change to the shotguns," Kai said.

Both women shouted an affirmative. Seeing the door ahead was reinforced steel, Kai readied one of the limited number of explosive charges he had brought with him. Even with his gigantic frame and incredible strength, the bulk of such a door was an issue.

Kai's armor, size and harness allowed him to carry more items than the women who lacked such equipment, but he required more specialized gear in order to perform his assigned role. A few grenades on his vest had been traded for explosive charges to deal with doors. On his person he sported a pair of pistols and a pair of sub machine guns as well as a large machete and a good sized hatchet. In his hands he carried a massive rotary gun meant to be fired from a fixed position.

Around his enormous shoulders Kai carried extra ammunition for the device. It was the the sort of appalling bullet hog he normally would have balked to use. However, everything had its place and even he had to admit the gun was doing a stellar job in this specialized environment.

He set the charges and backed away. With a blast, the lock was torn apart along with a section of the door and good bit of the wall and frame. Charging though and counting on the explosion and noise to distract any foes, Kai entered the prison area.

Inside were six figures that could only loosely be described as humanoid. Kai had seen such Tzimisce handy work before he gained his powers. He had last been privy to this particular brand of horror when he helped Axe and Mike dispatch a stubbornly hard to terminate Tzimisce lord. Those flesh warped creatures had been crafted to serve a purpose; to either be more deadly fighters or to or serve their master in some other way. Those forms were constrained by function. Here the Fiends had no wish for their subjects to be able to do anything or to go anywhere. Here they gave vent to their rage that one had escaped their grasp. That was obvious. They had worked their insane art with furious inspiration.

Valentina made the sign of the cross as she looked at the other flesh warped Manifested. "By all that is holy…" she whispered in Spanish.

"This is far worse than we feared. I'm not sure how we're going to move them. Not while under attack," Terra said.

"We are not. We will press the attack further and drive the enemy backwards. When the others arrive, we will have the means to move them out," Kai said with resolve in his voice.

Terra spoke up. "Are you sure we shouldn't we hold our ground?"

"No. If we do not keep them on the defensive, we will lose our momentum. We must continue to press them. We dare not give them time to think or time to plan," Kai said advancing out of the prison.

Secret trepidation filled Kai. They had not yet faced foes powerful enough to be the ones responsible for this horror. If the Fiends were as smart as he feared, they had used their lesser troops as bullet sponges.

"Be prepared. Search this area as we did others. Pile clips and weapons in stacks. We are nearing the point where we may have to use the enemy's salvaged weapons," Kai said.

The order was quickly carried out. The trio then advanced further following the sweep of the rooms. They made it to the end of the hall before they encountered what Kai was dreading; the true battle. It was not the grand convocation hall, but it was a very large room. It was most likely once meant to impress dignitaries the rogue Tremere invited. A place the rouge Tremere Councillor, Goratrix, could show off his clan's power.

It was now a gallery of horrors. Inside were a dozen Tzimisce elders, numerous Szlachta War Ghouls and three imposing Vozhd; living tanks crafted of multiple beings fused and warped into a single enormous form.

Valentina mouthed the only word that leapt to her mind. "Shit!"

Terra could only stare, nodding in agreement. Her mind was trying to sort the Vozhd into its component parts. Kai began sweeping the room with fire from his rotary gun.

"I have killed one before. That is the good news. The bad news is, back then, I had an anti-tank rocket. They are not insurmountable, but I will have to get close and use explosives. I must press in and you will not be able to guard my flank. You must not let them get out of this room. You must not let them pass this door," Kai ordered.

"There are other doors they can use! There has to be other ways for them to get behind us," Terra said, fighting down her rising panic.

"Yes, but this is the only path large enough for those monsters. The side passages are too small for them and they want to keep their force together. They waited here to give themselves room to fight as well as for psychological reasons. They want to show off and scare us, however they are vulnerable. If they get into a narrow hall they will be densely packed, reinforcing each other. The war ghouls will exhaust our bullets then the masters will slay us. Here, where I can move around them, there is a chance to kill the largest beasts. However, it means I have to go inside. When they realize what I am doing, they will try to press you back down the hall. They will try to break us up and force me back here into the trap. We cannot let that happen. Hold this door no matter what. It is your choke point," Kai explained.

With that proclamation, the gun clicked empty. Kai drew his sub machine guns. Diving into the fray, weapons blazing, he called up all the power he could to move swiftly and leap far.

To Terra and Valentina the world became a haze of smoke, noise and fire. Both women were mechanically firing weapons, reloading, swapping weapons and firing again. Firing. Reloading. Firing. It was with some shock that Terra found herself pulling out her shotgun. Taking a quick look around, she realized both herself and Valentina had expended everything they had for both the assault rifles and submachine guns. The floor was littered in spent clips. She looked up to see Valentina's shotgun was snagged. She could not bring it to bear due to a strap that had gotten caught on the discarded assault rifle. Without thought, Terra pulled up a war ghouls severed bone blade and sliced the strap off. Valentina fired the weapon so close to Terra's face she felt the sound like an impact.

Turning, she saw one of the vampires had used its supernatural speed in an attempt to exploit the opening to slice the doctor apart. Terra lifted her own gun and joined its fire to Valentina's weapon. Metal shot pelleted the stone hard skin of the vampire. He shied back with an angry hiss. As he retreated, more ghouls filled the breach. Explosives detonated on one of the hulking Vozhd as Terra saw Kai leap into the air. He held a second detonator in his hand and his tactical vest was bereft of grenades. The second monstrosity exploded shortly thereafter. Now, however, without explosives, the sheer number of enemies was endangering him. He stumbled as he landed and the last Vozhd snagged him and lifted him up into the air.

From his now elevated position, Kai could see the vampires that had turned to see if they should come stop this warrior that had slain two of their precious ghoul tanks. They were already turning their attention back to the besieged defenders at the door, sure the last Vozhd would make short work of the gigantic Austrian. He saw the the pile of clips at the feet of the two women. Rage consumed him; an intense hatred the like of which he had never felt. His already hulking form seemed to swell from the sheer anger that overwhelmed his facade of reason. Kai bellowed in fury. He pulled his oversized knife and hatchet and hacked into the arm of the monstrosity that held him.

Looking up, Terra and Valentina saw the change come over Kai. His calculated and cold facade melted in the face of what he kept tightly concealed in his heart. Fury and bloodlust overcame his features. He looked more like some wild and primal war god as he rained blow after blow into the beast before him.

As the two paused briefly to watch Kai, a snarling snap of teeth and claws came from from behind Terra and Valentina. Over Terra's head leapt the massive wolf form of Axe. He collided with the nearest vampire jaws savaging something that was either an arm or a neck. A curtain of fire sprang up between the women and the closer foes. The bent over and panting form of David Redfern joined them.

"I was ahead of him, but, damn! That thing can run fast," the mage said, panting as he pointed at Axe.

Valentina blinked. "Who, Axe?"

"Try to catch your breath. Your mind is trying to process too much right now. Don't feel bad. I'm in the same boat," Terra told her. David looked forward into the room with a critical eye.

"Mass destruction isn't my sort of magic and those vampires are hedge mages. I can't keep this spell up in the face of the counter magic they can bring to bear. I saw piles of weapons back there. Let's go get some before they bring this barrier down," David said. The group quickly looted the nearest piles. Already the flames were dying. David joined the women in pouring firepower into the doorway.

"Isn't there anything you can do? Call your spirit allies or some sort of elemental," Valentina asked.

"They won't come near this place. There's something unnatural just beyond those doors. A place that's not a place. Something that is not of this world yet still is here. No spirit I have spoken with will come near this cursed building," he explained.

Inside the room, Axe had shifted into his war form. He was trying to hold off several vampires and slowly losing. Kai was atop the back of the last Vozhd hacking away with a stolen sword. It was a massive, two handed thing that had most likely belonged to one of the fallen vampires. His harness had been shredded. It was worse than when he had escaped with Terra at the American prison. There would be no repairing it this time. Pausing, Kai ripped it away, tossing the impeding scraps and resumed his hacking bare chested.

Trying to defuse some of the tension, Terra quipped to Valentina, "You said something about him reminding you of Conan?"

Mike's derisive snort came from behind them. "Yeah, yeah! He's ready for a Harlequin novel cover. He's makin' me swoon like a little girl. The real question is how are we going to get him the fuck out of there?"

"You are going to use your magic and get him out," David replied back. Mike came closer and took a long look at the room.

"What do I look like? Paradox bait? That is a goddamn nightmare in there. I'm not even sure I can get Axe out," Mike said.

"If he dies in there you will join him," Terra said fiercely and unexpectedly.

Mike gaped and turned to the short woman. "Excuse me?"

Terra glared. "If you let Kai die, I will kill you. Is that plain enough?"

Mike opened his mouth. He closed it quickly when he saw the intensity etched on the face of the doctor. He decided against a verbal rejoinder. Something in her eyes told him for once not to press the issue.

"Fine! Give me room. David use your Life and Matter. Help me make movement. I want all the vampire blood to gather here," Mike said.

"I didn't know you were still a blood junkie," David said.

"I don't want to drink it you ass! I need the Tass in the stuff," Mike replied hotly.

Mike pulled out a piece of white chalk with his right hand and black charcoal with his left. He began to quickly draw symbols and runes on the floor. In the center of these symbols, blood rivulets began to merge and pool. The blood began to burn with a blue flame.

"Blood is the essence of Life. Magic is the Life of the Universe. Blood from those that feed on the Magic of Life. Life stolen to feed Death. Their Blood to the Universe. The Universe's Life to me. Blood for Magic. Magic...my power!" Mike chanted three times and on the third he lifted his head. His eyes glowed and his body levitated. He floated forward into the room and from his hands exploded flames from his his eyes streaked bolts of lighting.

Terra was stunned. "What...?"

"It's sad to see such talent wasted," David lamented.

"If he's so powerful why does he act like a cheap hood and a con man? It makes no sense," Terra said. She was struggling to frame her amazement at actually seeing such a display of raw magic.

"He's fallen from the path of Ascension. He's nearly powerful enough to be an archmage. In learning hard lessons he's excelled. He's mastered powers along a hard path of life, but he lost his purpose along the way. He's forgotten the why of being a mage. He's lost his love of magic. He fears the dangers of its use more than he loves his art. For him, now, magic is just a tool in his box of tricks. For a devoted mage it has to be the reason for your being. Mike's reason for being is being itself. He's become banal. Despite being awakened it's like he's fallen asleep again. He's become so lost in life and so focused on living he's forgotten that life must have a purpose other than survival for one to be more than an animal," David said sadly.

The flames that washed the room crashed like waves at Mike's command striking into the heart of those enemies he sought but evading his allies. Those that were too close to Axe and Kai for the flames were blasted by lightning so powerful it burned holes the size of a fist through their bodies. The Tzimisce responded with magics. They conjured elemental attacks of their own, only to find them seized by Mike and turned against them. Their counter magic battered him but failed to do more than slightly dampen the fires he conjured. Then, just as suddenly as it started, Mike fell from the air like a puppet with it's strings cut. Axe leapt to his side snarling at the few close survivors.

"Come on," David shouted as he charged into the room.

Seeing few survivors they might overwhelm, Terra and Valentina joined him. Her guns nearly empty again, Terra reached deep within herself, channeling her own innate power. She hurled bolts of power; a green energy that formed into the shape of leaves and vines. Valentina followed suit with her own bolts of fire. Kai finally hacked though the tree trunk like neck of the great Vozhd and it fell with the thud. He raised the massive two handed sword he had found in one hand and ran for the nearest surviving vampire, his eyes wild with blood lust.

Quickly the few remaining foes in the room was dispatched. Axe shifted back into his human form and pulled Mike into his lap. Kai stood breathing furiously, his eyes roving the room wildly.

Terra looked at him, a worried expression on her face."Kai, are you alright?"

He turned and looked at her, his eyes boring a hole in her. "Terra? You live. We have won?"

"Yes are you alright?" Terra asked again.

"You were...I don't know what you were! It was like some berserker out of a story!" Valentina exclaimed.

"I have always loved fighting. I love it too much at times. I have to discipline myself. It seems I let my control falter." Kai admitted.

"Mike helped us save you. He helped us win," Terra said.

Turning to look she saw the fallen mage. His body was spasming. It was like unseen ripples were coursing through it.

"It's not a Tzimisce attack. He pushed reality too hard and it pushed back. Reality is warping around him, breaking his flesh and reknitting it. He'll be useless until it fades," David explained.

Terra looked at David. "How long will this last?"

"Days. Months. You can never be sure," David said with a shrug.

Kai looked down at Mike. He wore an expression of gratitude mixed with pity. "It is madness to use so much power. Was he trying to commit suicide?"

"No. Terra said she would kill him," Valentina offered.

Kai looked at the Latino girl. "What was that?"

"Terra said that if you died, she would kill him," Valentina said, expanding her explanation.

"You did that? You threatened to take a life for mine?" Terra shrugged. "I am moved," He said with a smile.

The far door to the chamber creaked open and a voice called out from it. "We wish to parley," it stated.

David answered the voice. "We destroyed your army. Why would we wish to negotiate?"

"You destroyed the Tzimisce army and in doing so…" Around the room the fallen forms that had not been consumed by flames started to rise. From far down the corridors the sounds of shuffling feet could be heard "...provided us with our own," the voice finished.

"I do not deal with those that I cannot see. Come out," Kai ordered.

The far door opened. A skeletal form barely coated in dry, taut flesh exited. A voice came from cracked lips that were peeling from the bone of the creature's skull. All reason said that there was no way the being should have been able to speak with such a body, let alone stand or move. It was as if a dry, wracking corpse from an ancient tomb had come to treat with them.

"You are low on munitions, fresh out of sacrificial assaults, tired and hungry," the eerie creature observed. "These are all reasons to negotiate for you. For ourselves, we have been impressed enough with your ingenious talents for killing we have no desire to see what new acts of desperation your party will conjure forth. From your track record, so far, they are likely to be surprisingly damaging to those you face."

Kai eyed the creature wearily. Despite this, he was well aware of the undead that were slowly ringing the six of them.

"Besides we can see you, Kai Silbern. The voices in the darkness whisper your name. They are prepared to greet you. You appear strong and vital, but a flame often burns brightest before the end." Behind the speaker, the door opened wider. Ghosts could be seen floating in the inky darkness of the room.

Valentina blinked. "What does he mean?"

"He means Kai is near death," Terra whispered.

"Then you know I truly have nothing to lose, monster. Speak your terms quickly. As you have said, time is short," Kai responded with a sneer.

"Very well. You may exit this place with your lives and the lives of those you came to rescue. We will not pursue you. You will not pursue vengeance against us for those experiments," the speaker offered.

"Forswear vengeance? You cannot say the rest of the Sabbat will do the same. You do not speak for them all," Kai scoffed.

"We only ask for such for our clan, not the faction. We have been advising an end to these experiments for weeks. You see, they are pointless now. Like the Imbued Hunters you are immune to the powers of the blood. For you it's only iron, proteins, and water. Your kind can neither be ghouled nor turned. Your flesh can be warped, but the changes are not permanent. Your blood is rich in power, but the cost of claiming it is far too high. We have confirmed that in death you are just ghosts like any other. Frankly, there is nothing special enough about you to warrant continued experiments. You have nothing we can use and we possess nothing to offer you for service," the speaker explained.

Kai looked at the creatures. "You will tell the Sabbat this? You will spread the word that making us ghouls or vampires is impossible? That antagonizing us is a mistake?"

"Yes," the creature nodded.

"Then we..." Kai started before Terra cut him off.

"No! I want your research. There are things you might have discovered about us that we don't even know yet! Not to mention that there are others out there that will not believe the word of a being like you. I want the data so I can show them myself," Terra barked.

"The woman has a good point. Yes, provide that and we have a deal," Kai amended.

"Yes, very well. Let her take it from my hand then. Come. Doctor Alani, of wanted poster fame! Come. I have a few Compact Disks, here. Behind the times, but still readable on most any computer. Our assistants have been meticulous in their note taking. Come to me and I will hand them over," the speaker offered.

Determined not to show fear, Terra summoned all of the haughtiness she could muster and approached; struggling to master her natural reaction to such an obvious dead thing. The doctor with her voluptuous build and riot of tropical flowers in her hair could not have been more incongruous with the tall, corpse like figure before her. She reached out, her supple and warm hand to its dry dead one and took the discs without even a shudder.

Suddenly, the dead thing clasped her hand and pulled her close while shaking it. "A DEAL THEN," it said loudly. Then, however, and in a whisper that only Terra could hear it spoke to her. "You should have asked your other question as part of the deal, doctor. I will not tell you for free."

"I will not let him die so what you see is meaningless," Terra said defiantly.

The Harbinger let out a low hiss. It could have been laughter. Terra was not sure. "Do not be so sure, Childe of Life. He has less time than even you fear." With that taunt, it released her hand. Terra stumbled backwards a step then turned and marched away. The skeletal figures melted away into mist and the undead suddenly vanished.

Kai leaned on his stolen sword. "We need to get out of here quickly. We have only Mike's van and David's camper. Mike is unwell. Axe does not drive. We three manifested cannot be seen."

"The six flesh warped prisoners can't be seen anymore than you three. I think we can risk a night drive with Valentina at the wheel. We won't all fit in the camper," David said.

"We need a sophisticated medical facility and fast. We can't use any place in this city. The vampires will kill us. We have to find a place safe from the Sabbat," Terra said.

David nodded. "The closest safe place that fits the bill is New Orleans."

Kai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Then we go."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** This section this will use characters from my Classic World of Darkness story _Tale of the Seven_, which I have not abandoned, I have simply put it on hiatus. These events occur about four years after that story. Also, following sections will see the introduction of characters from a law firm. I wanted some characters who were quirky and used to dealing with things that are out of the ordinary legally, so I chose to use some characters from the television series _Boston Legal._ They are not mine. I make no profit from their use. They are the property of 20th Century Fox and David E. Kelley.

* * *

2012

Dark Side of the Moon, Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

"We know where they went next. They fled for shelter in what I have described as a festering wound on the world we've sought to build," Claus said.

The Chief sighed. "I suppose now you would like the explanation I promised to give you as to why the city of New Orleans and its ruling Cabal have been left alone?"

"Very much so," Claus said.

"When the Cabal that took over the New Orleans region came to our attention in 2006, we reviewed your warning and action plan. The possibility of their group becoming a problem was taken very seriously. Never before had such a broad spectrum of reality deviants united under one banner," the Chief began.

"Was it really? The reply I received was so sparse I doubted the report had even been read," Claus snapped.

"The reply was sparse because we ourselves were in shock at our own findings. We ran the variables through a simulation program on the upgraded master computer in Autochthon. The results were...disturbing," the Chief said.

Claus cleared his throat. "The one that occasionally gives certain… insights?"

The Chief looked at Claus. "Unexpected insights, yes. As in the past, it revealed a logic chain that was as unexpected as..."

"...it was sobering," the Dissenter said, finishing the Chief's sentence.

"Yes. Sobering. It was indeed," the Chief admitted.

With a wave of his hand data projections appeared on the wall behind Claus. The old man gazed at them. His puzzlement soon turning to dismay.

"This data, of course, is of the highest secrecy. So much so, in fact, that we are stretching the rules to allow you to see it. We rated it secert enough not to be discussed outside of Autochthon," the Chief said sadly.

Claus shook his head, unbelieving. "You've verified this?"

"Yes. The math can not be countered. Any assault on the New Orleans Cabal at that time, or at any time up to now, would have lead to a cascade of events that would unite very broad and normally antagonistic factions of reality deviants. It would unite them into simultaneously declaring war on us," the Dissenter said.

"The amount of force required to destroy this group would dangerously tip our hand to the reality deviants. Even if it did not lead to a formal truce between any of them, it would galvanize them to form a pact for mutual defense and cooperation. At least temporarily," the Chief said.

Claus squinted his eyes and rubbed his right temple with his index and middle finger as he looked at the data screens. "Which would lead to a multi-front war that would exhaust our resources to the point we would be in danger of dissolution," he said, blatant shock creeping into his voice.

"We are not yet at the point that we have the power to take on the world, it would seem. We must to continue our programs to keep these deviants in check. Direct assault is too risky," the Dissenter added.

"For now, at least. We rerun the projections when we think new data has come to light. There are always projects that change the balance of power. Any one of our research projects could lead us to a revolution in how we deal with the realty deviance problem, but now you understand why it's such a hot topic for discussion. We thought we had come further than we had. It's galling to know other wise," the Chief admitted.

"As painful as looking into this particular mirror is, let us continue, Claus. Let us examine how things started to truly fall apart," the Dissenter said.

Claus closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts. "Yes, there is, after all, the chance it will reveal an unexplored option." He opened his eyes and took control of the projector again.

* * *

April 15th, 2008

St. Januarius Private Hospital, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana

* * *

Alex and Heather Silbern entered the meeting room. Heather was just as beautiful as she always had been. One would have never guessed that she had already borne three children. As she was a ghoul, she looked just as young as she had when she and Alex first met four years ago. Her red hair was darker than it had been, taking on a reddish brown look. She hadn't kept the slight but hard won tan she had acquired in California. Her skin was pale, but it was a warm pale; quick to flush in the cold or turn peach in warm weather. She was dressed tastefully. She had no need of the maternity clothes her condition would require later, but everyone knew she was pregnant again with her fourth child. She had already begun to show slightly at three months. Despite being a ghoul, she was very fertile. An uncommon situation to say the least. Heather was not a short woman, infact, quite the opposite was true. She was five foot ten inches in height, quite tall for most women. No, she wasn't small, but she looked downright tiny next to the seven foot six inch muscular giant that was her husband, Alex.

Alex, in contrast to his wife, worked very hard to keep his tan. He refused to give it up, even in the winter. Well, as much winter as Louisiana gave them. Alex said allowing his tan to fade would be like giving up and saying goodbye to the last vestiges of his Californian origins. This devotion had caused his hair to lighten considerably from a light brown to a dirty blond. He was dressed more simply than his wife. He wore only a camouflage tank top that was stretched tight across his massive sculpted chest. He wore cargo pants and simple slip on shoes. As it was April, it was already quite warm in Louisiana.

They were running late. They were young parents and faced difficulty in securing someone to keep an eye on their three small daughters while they attended to Council business. Heather had the added difficulty of being pregnant again. For this very reason, most of the meetings were held at their house, which not only was on a large plot of land away from the city, but the site of the local Ferra's most powerful caern.

The pair took a glance to confirm that they were, as normal, the last to arrive. Looking around the room they saw the normal crew that attended the council meetings. To the left of them was the normal group of Fera. Alex's Beta, Leo Dawson, flashed his friendly smile. He tossed his head back so as to throw his long, skater cut style hair out of his eyes. The leader of the werebears, Graham Halliwell, who, while not as tall as Alex, nearly matched him in girth stood with his burly arms crossed. He was big like a sumo wrestler compared to Alex's bodybuilder stature. His occasionally dour countenance was full on today as he looked disapprovingly at Leo's gaiety and lax attitude.

Alejandro Diaz seemed to be laid back, but only a fool would think the wily wererat was napping. Their latest addition, the lioness Alice Kinyor, who was the only Fera to have her laptop open, was not paying attention. She seemed to be very intent on what was written on her screen. To Alex's surprise, Pops Rayburn was there and actually in human form. The Mokole seldom came to general council meetings. The old, dark skinned man was even wearing clothing, even if it was just sweatpants and a t-shirt. That was an accomplishment in and of itself. Although nothing had been done about the wildness of his fringe of grey hair however.

To the right, the pair's mutual friend, Keith McDowell sat; he just so happened to be a vampire of the Brujah clan. Doctor Remington Spectre was sat back in his chair with his boots up on the table. He gave the deceptive appearance of not giving a damn about the proceedings. Next to him in a black and grey pin striped suit was Ezekiel Mason, a Tremere vampire whom Alex detested. Right of him was the Risen who went by the name Marie. Reputedly she was the famous Marie Laveau. She and Alex respected but loved to antagonize one another. Marie was talking to Maria Grove, their projector friend. Whatever they were discussing, it had Grove more animated than normal. Trying to ignore them was Frederick Kazviropoulos, their group's financial whiz. He'd been turned into a vampire only a year before, but seemed in full control of himself; likely due to his long tutelage as a ghoul. To their mutual surprise, Halinka Przemyslawa Podolski's seat was empty. It was not like Linka to be absent. The empty chair separated Frederick from Professor Sparks. The professor was intently concentrating on something on her computer. From her movements, Alex suspected she was playing Galaga again.

Alex nodded at Linka's empty chair. "Sale on religious icons?"

"She's in surgery. Who she's working on is why we're gathered," Keith responded, gesturing for Alex to look at the laptop at his throne-like over sized chair.

Alex sat his large frame down in the chair. He gave the file a look and sighed. "Kai. I've told you guys about this loony. He's not really related to me. We just have the same last name. Our last common ancestor was like two hundred years ago. I didn't even know he was one of these Manifested. Figures, though; he always was one to cause trouble."

"You've got to admit; the family resemblance is definitely there. Especially in the size department, big boy." Keith said. Alex scowled, but the Brujah continued. "He was near death from one of Pentex's new anti-regeneration bullets. Linka is pulling his bone structure apart to wrestle the metal fibers free."

Alex frowned. "I know asking a doctor not to heal is sort of pointless, but this dude is dangerous. I'm actually curious as to why you're here. Normally you'd be down there with Linka. Why are you up here?"

"She's got plenty of help. He brought eight other manifested with him. Six are flesh warped, but they'll have to wait for her to fix them. He was hovering on the brink. However, one of the unwarped ones is a doctor. Terra Alani, the one the wanted posters and alerts have been going on about. With her supernatural skills, she's a better surgeon than I am. It's kind of galling, actually. I've done major surgery and she's only ever assisted before this. Surgery's not even her speciality," Keith said.

Alex's eyes widened when Keith revealed that Kai had brought eight other Manifested with him. Panic crept across his face. However, he said nothing. Instead, Heather voiced what he was thinking. She had take the seat beside her husband. She placed her hand on his. "That would be a total of nine Manifested! With how heavy the Technos are going after them, that's a lot of heat," she said.

"We pride ourselves on doing what is right, not what is easy," Dr. Remington Spectre said. The Doc was rolling a cigarillo between his fingers that he hadn't lit. That meant he not only considered this meeting important, but that he was not ready for it to end. Normally he smoked just to annoy the others into completing meetings quickly.

"I vote we protect them regardless of the risk. I remember when the government was hunting me and my fellow Projectors. I doubt the public will let this go on long. That video of the woman Kai freed, you know the mother who tried to go get her husband and kids, is already making people question the vigor with which their being rounded up." Maria fiercely stated.

"I'm not saying we turn them in, but for us to protect them, they'll have to go seriously underground. No going outside. No phone calls or outside contact. Are they mentally prepared for that? I wouldn't be," Alex explained.

"It will be very 'Anne Frank,' such confinement can be trying, of that there's no doubt. If they can't handle it, we're better off seeing them to safety elsewhere. The wilderness perhaps," Heather proposed.

"They will not run long. The world will make a place for them or they will carve a place from it by force. They are a thing of old that has returned. They are from before even the Mokole. The spirits predicted they might return, but they were unsure," Pops interjected to the surprise of everyone.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, Pops, I hope the spirits of back when were wiser than the spirits of here and now. I've seen the spirits and I wasn't too impressed," Alex said, ribbing the old man.

"One day you're disrespecting the spirits will land you in hot water! You just wait, Alex Silbern!" Marie cried, admonishing him for his disrespect.

"That being said, my friends, what if they want to do more then just hide? There is a chance they could fight back either physically or legally," Frederick observed.

"We can't be the center of an armed effort to defy conventional government forces," Zeke said plainly.

"As much as I hate agreeing with the zoot suit douche, he's right. We can't take on the entire government. If they want to do that, we'll help them get away so they can set up elsewhere," Alex said.

"We should do more. We should offer them money and weapons as well," Maria said.

"Let's hold off on worrying about that just now. The idea of them fighting this legally is interesting. After the precedents in the Orpheus case, the Government and the Technos are on some pretty shaky legal ground. Not that that has ever mattered to the Technocracy, but sometimes they have to play by their own rules. I say we try to take advantage of that," the Doc said.

"It will be hard to find a lawyer willing to admit he was in contact with wanted criminals that are still wanted, not to mention the target of a massive nationwide manhunt. It'll be harder still to find one that is good enough to get anything done," Fredrick pointed out.

"I think I know one! Edmond Campeggio! The guy who first took our case and resolved our issues with the Orpheus and Terrel &amp; Squib legal cases! He was good, very good," Nikki said, speaking for the first time since the Silberns had entered..

Frederick did not look impressed by the suggestion. "I don't know...isn't he just a kid?"

"He's fine! Beside that was a few years ago; he's older and better now. Hold on, I've got to concentrate. The drone needs to hold the spine carefully so we don't paralyze him," Nikki said. She returned her focus to her computer.

"The Glass Walker, Barry, and the guys back at PSI labs still use him. I haven't heard anything bad about him," Leo said, chiming in.

"If I have to, I'll pay his fees myself! They need something. They need to know there is hope. When you're on the run and you think no one gives a damn, that is the worst part," Maria said, her pale thin face alight with passion.

"I say we pay. Money is only a means to an end. I say we use it to acquire their freedom. It will also generate goodwill. As powerful as they've proven to be, that is worth more than numbers on a ledger," Zeke advised.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah! Figures you'd say something like that. You're only helping them to score points. Doesn't matter if they're in need, that's not the point. It's what they can do for you in return later, isn't it?"

"Enlightened self interest aside, helping these people feels right. So far I hear few objections and most of them are 'what ifs' that we can deal with later. There is, however, one last thing before we break. They came here with Axe and Mike," the Doc said

Alex groaned and turned to Heather. "Aren't they banned?"

"No. They were un-banned from entering the city for helping us stop the Serpents of the Light during that invasion they tried. We barred them from residency when we caught them bilking tourists by selling fake pieces of buildings they claimed were destroyed in Katrina," Heather answered.

"I have never understood those two. Especially the werewolf. We offered them jobs," Alex said.

"Jobs require work. That's something Mike is adverse to," the Doc replied, still toying with his cigar.

Alex put his hand in his head. "They work harder at not working than they do if they'd just keep a job! I know it's hard for some mages, according to Nikki, but we could have helped him overcome that."

Frederick smiled. "Working hard at being lazy, sorta cliche, isn't it?"

"He was near death from Paradox backlash," Nikki said distractedly.

"Likely not near enough if he made it here," Alex said with a derisive snort.

"We'll give them another chance. They did these people a good turn," Maria said firmly.

"One must wonder how much they were promised for doing that good turn," Zeke said.

Alex rolled his eyes again, even though he knew Zeke was most likely right.

* * *

April 18, 2008

St. Januarius Private Hospital

* * *

Kai awakened in a soothing, pale cream colored room. He wondered where he was. The last thing he remembered was struggling to load the flesh warped victims into a large van.

"You've been out for several days and had very major surgery. Don't try to sit up. Just rest," Terra's voice came from somewhere behind and to the left of him.

Kai sat up and looked around.

"Will you stop doing that! Will you just listen to me for once!?" Terra said, balling her fists in anger.

"No." Kai replied groggily.

"Stubborn, ungrateful..." Terra began, but was cut off by Kai.

"What has happened. How did I get here?"

"We are north of New Orleans in a hospital the local supernaturals own. They healed you with magic, science and the same weird vampire powers that twisted the others. Watching it work was unsettling. It didn't sit well with me as a doctor to see someone just ripped open like they were dividing a lump of clay into moldable parts. I'm told they nearly had to sedate Valentina to keep her from rushing into the surgery. Apparently she did not take the sight of them opening you up too well," Terra said.

"I am cured?" Kai asked starting to shake the mental fog

"Yes. The vampire Doctor, Podolski, opened you up. I helped assist her by cutting and wrangling the fibers of metal the bullet had threaded through your body. A series of robotic arms helped hold the fibers away from you so they couldn't re-enter your body. David Redfern pulled the spirit out of you that was bound into the fibers and destroyed it," she explained.

"Good," Kai said with relief.

"Kai there is something we have to talk about..." Terra said in a serious tone.

Kai, however, cut her off. "Yes there is something we need to discuss. You need not worry; when I chose to come here, to New Orleans, I chose to fail my original mission. You will not ever have to worry about those who hired me. I will never let them have you. I will not let anyone else…." He trailed off before continuing. A resolute fire filled his voice.

"I owe you my life three times over. It is more than that, though. While you may not feel the same way in return; I see something in you. I have met someone that is my equal. Someone I respect enough to love. That, whether the affection is returned or not, means more than the weight of a failed mission on my reputation."

Terra was completely taken aback. She had never seen the stoic giant display such emotion. She stared at Kai, mentally digesting this proclamation.

"Kai, I ..." She began.

However, before Terra could finish, the door opened and two people stepped inside the room. One looked like a young Clint Eastwood, the other looked like one of the Bangles had put on a lab coat.

The female spoke first. "Ooh! Already sitting up? That's impressive!" She quickly moved to Kai's bedside to check his chart while her companion spoke.

"I'm Dr. Remington Spectre, this is Professor Nicky Sparks. We've come to discuss your situation and long term plans. The short term is rather obvious; all of you need to rest and heal up." He said.

"You want us to leave as soon as we can?" Terra asked.

"Not at all! You've been out of the loop so you might be unaware of what's going on! There's a real backlash brewing against the government for locking you guys up for no reason. There's a cellphone video of a housewife being dragged out of her home. It made it to the internet and eventually the news. The images of her fighting back while screaming in terror that she wouldn't let them do to her kids what they did to her was like a match to gasoline. It really had an impact on how the public views all of this," Nikki said while checking her notes.

"Not to mention the fact that this is an election year to boot. Now the cat's out of the bag; the underhanded treatment of your kind, whom the press are calling 'the Manifested,' by the government has come out. It's got people all up in arms. Pundits are comparing this to the Projector manhunt, you know the one that derailed investigations into the Pigment epidemic. Our own Projectors all remember that fiasco. They're rather touchy about it to say the least," the Doc said.

Terra looked up at Dr. Spectre. "You really think we can fight this legally?"

"I will only be a liability in such a fight. It is best if Terra cuts her ties from me if that is the case." Kai said.

Spectre tilted his head from side to side, considering. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Let's see what the lawyers say first. If you want one, we know a good one. He represented our Projectors and helped Nikki here secure the patent to the process for creating Pigment."

"It made me rich, like stupid rich, really!" Nikki said happily.

Kai looked from Spectre to Terra. "I suppose we could always attempt the legal approach first. Then should it fail, we can fall back on the more violent approach."

"That sounds good, but I'm not abandoning Kai." Terra said.

"Then...you do care for me?" Kai asked, beaming.

"It's not that, I wouldn't abandon any of our kind. We need to present a unified front!" Terra said.

Kai looked down at the sheets of his hospital bed, a cloud of worry playing across his face.

"Oh! Did we interrupt something?" Nikki asked excitedly.

"Yes!" Terra replied, while Kai simultaneously exclaimed "No!"

"We'll come back latter," the Doc offered.

Before he could fully wrangle Nikki to the exit, Leo stepped into the hall. "Hey! That mage Mike is up. Thought you'd all wanna know," he said while hurrying off to tell others.

The Doc shrugged and headed for Mike's room with Nikki in tow.

Kai looked at Terra. "They are right. We should talk."

"I'm going to check on Mike," Terra said abruptly.

As she strode out of the room she heard the sound of the bed rail protesting the strain of Kai's weight as he pulled himself out of the bed. She turned to berate him again for over stressing his injured body, but threw up her hands after she saw the look of determination on his face.

Terra abruptly stopped upon entry to Mike's room. She had been so busy helping with Kai's treatment and looking after the other Manifested slated to be cured as soon as the vampire doctor could manage it, that she had not looked in on Mike. His flesh was streaked with bruises where reality had made the attempt to fold him like origami.

Nikki smiled. "You're lucky the paradox was all physical!"

"This is lucky?" Terra asked.

Spectre nodded. "The body heals easily enough. The mind and soul are harder to fix."

"This man risked much for me. I will not forget this debt." Kai said as he came in behind Terra and made his way over to the bed.

Mike looked at the IV tubes and bruises running along his body. "It's nothing that doubling my cut when we turn in the woman won't payback."

Kai turned his eyes downcast. "That will not be happening, however, I will see you receive double funds once I am well enough to work again."

"What do you mean it won't be happening!?" Mike asked loudly as he suddenly sat up in bed.

"The rendezvous date is blown. However, that is beside the point. I will not turn her over to people I do not know. Not anymore. I owe her too much for that. If you are worried about your money, do not be. It will take longer, but I will get you the money you are owed. I pay my debts," Kai said.

Mike stared at Kai, his face slowly hardening with comprehension. "You're blowing this?! What the hell is the matter with you?! You are the most hard-ass, professional son of a bitch I know! Letting personal feelings affect the job is about as fucking far from professional as you can get! Kai Silbern doesn't throw a mission for a pair of tits, no matter how spectacular!"

Kai's face darkened. He leaned forward, but ended up clutching the rail on Mike's hospital bed for support, mildly spoiling the intimidating air he was looking to project. "_I _am the one who says what Kai Silbern does, and I say _you_ will not speak of her like that again! It would be a worse smear on my honor to show such disrespect for a woman who has saved my life over and over again!"

Mike looked stricken. "What the shit is wrong with you? You were an institution! You _never _fail. You _never_ quit. You succeed regardless of the collateral damage and nothing ever stood in your way. You were a cold machine that always got the job done and never mucked it up. I respected that, admired it, hell I wanted to be like you! Now you're mucking up a mission _on purpose_. You're CHOOSING to fail! Axe and I have failed a lot, but we've never chosen, on purpose, to fail to snag a payoff! You're...you're messing up worse then my damned brother!"

Kai continued to stare sternly at Mike. Nikki shook her head while looking at Mike's rising blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. "I hate to interrupt this brewing cripple fight, but we need to cut this short. He's got to rest or he's going to pass out," she said.

The glowering continued until Dr. Spectre stepped forward. "Alright, visitors are moving out now. You two can settle this when Mike's not at risk of going back into a coma." He turned his attention back to Mike. "Don't worry, judging by his shaky stance, our Austrian friend isn't going anywhere."

Kai, Terra and Nikki backed out of the room. Kai could see Mike's gaze move to Axe. The werewolf gave the injured mage a look Kai couldn't read. Mike's reaction to it was strong, however. He tossed the plastic cup of water from his side table at Axe and screamed at him. "Screw the guilt trip eyes! Get out! All of you just GET OUT!"

Axe joined the others in the hall, shaking the water out of his long hair.

"Well that went about as well as I expected," Spectre said with a shrug.

"Yeah, Mike's really mellowed," Nikki said with jovial sarcasm.

"I am going to rest. The sooner I get well, the sooner I can get him his damned money. Then I can beat on him with a clear conscience," Kai said doing his best to stalk off, despite his limp.

Terra looked at Nikki. "Will Mike be alright?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. He's had plenty of experience with having his dreams of avarice dashed in his face. It's sort of his thing. He'll be fine," the Doc replied.

Nikki nodded. "His inner turmoil is worrisome. He's half my age and yet pretty close to being my equal in power. It's sad really."

"That he's lost his love for magic? David Redfern said something about that being bad." Terra said.

"Bad? That's an understatement. Four years ago, I was trying to raise myself to meet his level of magic. In the meantime, he's gained nothing. He's plateaued in power and ability. He doesn't even use magic if he can help it," Nikki said, shaking her head.

"I wouldn't think that would be so odd, especially if magic is as dangerous as it seems to be. I would think it would be a power seldom called on," Terra said.

Nikki looked at Terra as if she had proclaimed infants to be a delicacy she enjoyed. Spectre swooped in to explain.

"That's like asking a doctor not to heal because of the risk of malpractice, or a bird not to fly because it might crash. Using magic is part of who a mage is; what Redfern and Nikki mean is that Mike is lost. He's lost to himself. Until he finds himself, he'll never get his shit together," he said.

"We have the power to bend the world to our will, to change the universe itself! How can we not use it? How can someone say 'no' to that? No price is too much! No risk is too great! The wonders I have seen…. The miracles I have worked... No! I wouldn't give up my magic! Never!" Nikki said firmly.

Spectre shrugged and tilted his head with a small smile. "See what I mean. Get yourselves something to eat. Nikki and I still have to work on finding you a better place to stay."

Nikki waved a cute 'bye bye' as she literally skipped after Spectre.

Alone in the hall, Axe studied Terra for a long while. Terra finally broke the awkward silence. "Let's go to the cafeteria then."

Axe didn't move. He leaned against the whitewashed hospital wall."You still haven't told him. You might want to hurry that up. He's going to notice," he said quietly in his normal laconic way.

"What?" Terra said, turning to look at the werewolf.

"It's been, what, three months? I'm surprised you're not showing some already," Axe answered.

Terra turned around. "How did you...?"

Axe interrupted by taping his nose.

"Pheromones? No, wait, hormonal changes?" Terra guessed.

Axe shrugged. "Call it what you want, I smell it on you."

"It's complicated. Kai is, or thinks he is, in love with me." Terra said.

Axe tilted his head questioningly.

"And I don't love him. I like him, but, that's about it. He's kind of abrasive, cold and...overly male. I've dated and even liked guys before, but not ones that were... so...so...emotionally constipated. I want him involved in this child's upbringing. I don't begrudge him the chance to be a father. I just don't want him to think I'm part of the deal. I respect him as a person too much to make him think this is more than it is," Terra said with self examination.

"Well... maybe the meatloaf is good today," Axe said, resuming his trip to the kitchen.

Terra sighed at Axe's sudden gearshift. Being like an animal made Axe emotionally simple. Sometimes that gave him interesting insights This was one of the times it seemed to give him a total disinterest. Terra tried to turn her own mind to other matters; however, how best to tell Kai they had conceived a child together kept crowding them out.

* * *

April 30th, 2008

Silbern Household, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana

* * *

Terra marveled at the little redheaded girls before her. Heather sat nearby keeping an eye on her daughters who were playing with a doll house in the living room.

The Silbern house was an enormous mansion. It had an impressive set of underground levels given the locally high water table. The Silbern's themselves only seemed to live in one section of the house. The rest of the structure was the de facto capitol building of the supernatural community in Louisiana. Kai and Terra had relocated here and were given rooms in the sub level as well as access to the impressive gym, indoor pool and other facilities. Valentina was still at the hospital, helping the staff manage the six other rescued Manifested. Now that their bodies had been upwarped they were reacclimating to them. The others would be joining them once their physical therapy was finished.

"Your daughters are very well behaved," Terra said, trying to make polite conversation.

"Not really. They're just behaving at the moment because we're right here. Besides, they're all daddy's girls anyway. Alex can get them to do things I can't; mostly as I don't get to spend as much time with them as he does. I work with the State Police, like the other Ghouls here. Alex only works a dozen or so hours a week. That makes him 'Mister Mom' if you can believe that," Heather explained with a smile.

"Given his...appearance...I wouldn't have thought he'd have been so good a father. I guess people can really surprise you?" Terra mused.

Heather smiled again. "What, because he's the size of a small house?"

Terra nodded.

"Looks can be deceiving. You wouldn't think that I was a ghoul, would you? I know it's a cliche, but don't judge a book by it's cover. However, your first impression was not to completely wrong; before the girl's were born, Alex was a party-boy sex fiend. He still is a sex fiend." She sighed and looked down at her belly. "Luckily for me, being on dispatch, I can work well into my pregnancy."

Before their conversation could continue, Alex came in. It still caught Terra off guard that he was almost as large and muscular as Kai. Sometimes, when she saw him from a distance, she thought he _was_ Kai, however, their complexions, skin tone and hair were completely different.

"That Campeggio kid is here. He wants to meet with you. I already rounded up the Austrian loony, so don't worry," Alex quipped.

"Oh! I better go then! I'll see you girls latter," Terra said waving back at the children. The tiniest girl waved back to her before busying herself with the dollhouse again.

Alex held the door open for Terra. She looked up at him. There was a smile on his face as he looked over her head and winked at one of his daughters, who squealed with delight and waved back to him. Terra contemplated how different this Silbern was from the other. Alex had a friendly way about him. Despite his size and bulk, he put people at ease. He also seemed to be much more open about sharing his emotions. He was still a bit of a muscle bound jock for her tastes, but it seemed Heather was lucky and had found a good life partner.

Terra fell instep behind Alex as he led her through the corridors downstairs. One question leapt to Terra's mind that she had to ask Alex now that they were alone. "Is this Campeggio really a kid, or were you just teasing?"

"Well, he's young for a lawyer. He's twenty. He was seventeen when he went to court for us. He's smart. They say he's a legal genius; one of the youngest ever to pass the bar. Some type of savant. I guess he'd have to be to have his law degree by that age. I know he won and that's all I really care about. Never been one to hang out with lawyers," Alex said, reflecting on the situation.

"Well, hopefully he can be trusted," Terra said, not quite sure if she was reassured.

"Here we are." Alex said waving to the door.

Terra took a deep breath, steadied herself, then opened the door. Inside was a cozy library room. The walls sported built in bookcases. As for the furnishings, it had a few tables and stools as well as some large stuffed chairs. A portable desk with no adornments had been set up in front of one of the chairs. Kai was sitting in one. The one next to him was empty. From another door emerged a man who had to be Campeggio. He was handsome. Terra estimated his height to be over six feet. He had a dark, olive complexion, like many with Italian heritage, but something about his face hinted at the possibility of some Asian in his ancestry as well. He was wearing an expensive looking black suit with a crisp white shirt and red tie held in place by a tie chain that matched his expensive watch. His shoes were polished to a mirror shine. He looked completely professional; the only exception was his long hair. Pulled back in a ponytail, it was cut to just below his shoulders and was so dark black it seemed to have almost blue highlights. In his hand he carried a leather briefcase.

He sat down and opened his briefcase with a soft click. "Well, I understand the two of you are going to be my clients. So, the first thing we need to talk about is this..." he produced a thick stack of papers from his case.

"Are these the legal briefs you plan to file?" Terra asked.

"No. These are the documents I have already filed," Campeggio said casually.

"Already?" Kai arched his eyebrow.

"Yes. I don't believe in wasting time. Now, onto some news. We'll cover the most important of these, the rest you can read at your leisure." He looked at Kai. "The Austrian government has decreed that until you were captured they could make no comments on whether or not they would press for your release into their custody." He inclined his head toward Terra. "Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has already filed papers requesting your extradition. The State Department responded with these papers, showing you to be a U.S. citizen," Campeggio said, sliding a sheet of paper across the desk to Terra.

"Wait, what? I wasn't finished with the citizenship process! I never took the oath!" Terra said, shocked.

"Oh? This isn't this your signature?" Campeggio asked. He didn't sound surprised.

"It looks like it...but it can't be." Terra said.

"Of course it isn't, but there it is. Even the presiding judge seems to remember hurrying so you could get back to your residency from lunch break. He vividly described a pretty lady doctor that stood out to him amid the throngs of people he sees day in and out. Or so he says," Campeggio replied with a sarcastic smile.

"So, they are lying to hurt our case already?" Kai asked.

"Yes. It's something they'll come to regret. Normally, if my opponents play fair, I'll play fair. If they want to play dirty, well, we'll just see how dirty they want to play and how well they keep up with me once I start. Now, I need to know a few things from you before we decide where to go from here. The easy paths are blocked off; so we have to prepare for the long haul. Are you simply looking to free yourselves or are you looking to free the others like you as well?" Campeggio asked.

"All of us! I want this obscenity ended!" Terra said.

"What she wants, I want." Kai said firmly.

"Excellent! Then I have dossiers on both of you with information that I need verified. This is data from Psychic Services Incorporated, Sparks Laboratories and Vital Fluids Pharmaceuticals, who are in no way a trust or united corporation. It's just information that companies that share several board members, have a great deal of mutual concerns and pass information to each other in a casual manner, could find on you." Campeggio said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"The documents also contain your statements about the 'misadventures' involved in you arriving in New Orleans. Is there anything else that I need to know? Anything that might affect the trial? I need to know now, you don't want me getting surprised in the courtroom because the other side has knowledge of something I don't." He shifted his posture slightly and leaned forward, steepling his hands. "Right now, I like you and feel your cause is just. That being the case, I'm pretty motivated to go the extra mile for you," Campeggio said.

"If these documents have my mercenary work and bounties listed, then it has the gist of my life. My reputation will only hurt things, I fear," Kai said.

"I think I can work around that. It will be a challenge, but it's not a game breaker." Campeggio said.

Terra looked up and stared straight ahead at the wall. "I'm almost three months pregnant," she said.

"Oh, really? Mazel Tov! Well, I think that can work to our advantage. Nothing plays for sympathy like the thought of sending a pregnant woman to prison," Campeggio mused.

"Wait! How did you get pregnant?" Kai asked.

"I think that would be obvious. She had sex." Campeggio said without missing a beat.

"No, wait! Who is the father? Is it…?" Kai asked, stopping short.

"Of course it's you," Terra said with a sigh.

"Well! The first thing we have to do is get you two married. In Europe, it wouldn't cause that big of a fuss, but here in the States, having a child born out of wedlock doesn't play so well. We are going to have to present a united front and a story the public can get behind. Hero rescues his future love from a torture chamber, they fall in love and get married, and have a kid. Not necessarily in that order, but so long as all the pieces are there, the public will want to believe the fable over any harsh reality. It gives them the impression they could be part of something like that themselves," Campeggio said.

"Marriage?" Kai asked in nervous excitement.

"But...I don't love him." Terra said in dismay.

Kai turned, a shocked expression on his face. He looked at her, but before he could utter a word, Campeggio continued.

"Completely immaterial. Once you're out of the public eye, you can do whatever you wish. For now, however, if you want to end the imprisonment of your people, you have to play the game. You have to become the happy, loving couple that's besotted with each other and consumed with worry for your unborn child's future. Luckily for us, marriage is a state power and as our mutual friends have a lot of pull here in Louisiana, I think we can find a sympathetic Justice of the Peace who will sign off on it," Campeggio said, making several notes on a piece of paper.

Kai looked back and forth from Campeggio to Terra. His expression turned from one of bewilderment to dismay.

"Now, as you've told me you're in this for the long haul, I am going to let you know I plan to use you two as a test case for a class action lawsuit to get the others liberated. You just leave the details to me, I have some pull in these matters. I'll select a good firm to handle it, perhaps Crane Poole and Schmidt. Once your case is won, we will proceed to settle the class action and everyone will be freed." Campeggio said.

"I'm glad you're willing to help. I assume you plan to sue them for some damages?" Terra asked.

"Of course. Even after the lawyer's cut, all of you who've suffered at the hands of the government will get plenty of money. I plan to punish those who did this. I don't like seeing this nation, which was founded on the ideas of liberty and the ability to pursue one's own dreams, dragged into this sort of mire of totalitarian bull. Loss of money is, sadly, the worst punishment people in this country understand, so we'll just have to make it a very great sum of money so they don't forget and try this again." Campeggio said, smiling.

"Making you and yours rich as well?" Terra said, comprehension dawning on her.

"Perhaps. However, the money isn't the reason I want to do this. I love the challenge of it all; bending twelve common people, or in your case, a federal court judge to my views. The thrill of knowing I am just better at this than my opponents. I love proving how damn good I am at what I do," Campeggio said with a gleam in his eye.

"That sounds a lot like someone else I know..." Terra said with a smile, trying desperately to defuse some of the tension in the room. She looked over at Kai. He would not look at her. Instead, the massive man looked back at Campeggio. Terra wasn't sure what happened, but something passed between the two men, unspoken.

"I have always prided myself on my strength. This will not be easy, but I will be strong. I will see this through," Kai said resolutely, setting his jaw.

"This will be hard on all of us. We have to succeed for all of our sakes," Terra said impassionedly.

"Then I'd better get to work. I'll take care of everything. You two just stay low and out of sight. Let me do your legwork. Don't worry, we can win this," Campeggio said with infectious surety.

"Good. I think I'll go back to the gym, then," Kai said abruptly. He nodded to the lawyer and left. He never even looked at Terra.

Terra looked at Campeggio sadly. "That... could have gone better. I was trying to find a way to tell him I was pregnant. Our relationship is very complex…."

Campeggio shrugged. "It's not my place to say anything, but you two both have to get along until it's all over. After that, we'll, if you can stay friends, it might be better for the child."

"I don't want to run him off. I just don't want to...I don't see him as a life partner." Terra explained.

"Well, if you're raising a child, you're already partners for the duration of one life, whether your relationship remains sexual or not." Campeggio said, closing his briefcase.

Terra looked at Campeggio confused.

"Well, I've already said more than I likely should about your personal life. It's not my concern. I'd best get out of here." He nodded to Terra as he made his way out.

Terra sat in in her chair, alone for a long time, thinking.


	6. Chapter 6

2012

Dark Side of the Moon, Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

"Events began to spiral out of control from this point. The rate at which these Manifested appeared drastically increased. To complicate matters, the Asian Directors failed to comply with orders. They allowed the Manifested far greater freedoms and closer access to the media. They failed to follow any directives to circle the wagons. This lead to Europe and Africa following suit; adopting a softer, more open approach. This had the effect of making our American operations appear far harsher than anywhere else. That destroyed our attempts to spin things out. At this point, too much information had escaped. I filed the reports calling for the Manifested to be changed in classification and removed from the list of deviancy," Claus said.

"Most of the Council felt that was a soft option," the Dissenter said.

"At the time, he had not yet been given authority over the other Regional Directors. Their failure to hold up the will of the Council was noted. Claus here, at least kept his objections merely on paper and followed the proper chains of command. The investigations of the time showed there was nothing more he personally could have done," the Form Keeper said.

"The need for a clearer chain of command and for a more central authority to make emergency decision in the field is why we reorganized and put Claus over the other Directors," the Chief said in clarification.

"It was, and still is, my opinion that our position had already become untenable; but the Council had made its will known. I continued to press the other Directors to close ranks and get behind the program. Despite my personal feelings, I did everything in my power to turn the tide. It was my opinion then, and now, that the point at which we could contain this...outbreak...had already past. It was then I began to put in place plans for the future. Plans that might mitigate losses while we continued to press the Council's will," Claus explained.

The Dissenter blinked. "You were already preparing for defeat?"

"While we all might seek to obtain the best outcome in any situation, it is better to be prepared for the worst, lest one be caught unaware. My preparations did nothing to counter our work as it stood," Claus said.

The Chief looked up from his pad and straight at Claus. "The level at which things fell apart was rather extreme. Why do you think that was?"

"The powers of the Manifested. Their abilities developed to allow them to coordinate across the globe. While our will workers could stop or catch them, we didn't have enough operatives to counter the sheer numbers that began to appear. By the time we knew what they could do, they had passed too much information to the legal staff working with Silbern and Alani," Claus replied.

"As well it would seem there was a major breach in operational security. Only equipment that utilizes enlightened science crafted by a will worker can secure data against some of the Manifested tricks," the Dissenter said.

"Indeed. Not expecting that particular danger cost us dearly. We were lucky it was not worse," Claus said.

* * *

May 1st, 2008

Law Offices of Crane, Poole &amp; Schmidt

Boston, Massachusetts

* * *

Denny Crane strode through the office in a chipper mood. He had won a bet the night before with a young tough from the District Attorney's office. As a result, he and his friend Alan were going to be treated to lunch.

Denny had his good days and his bad days. The diagnosis of Alzheimer's had been disheartening, but he was convinced he should fight to be his old self for as long as he could hold out. Seeing his friend, Alan Shore, he nodded. As he went over to speak to the younger man, he noticed something beyond Alan. Someone was coming through the elevator. He failed to hear Alan's response as he stared.

"Denny are you alright?" Alan asked again, trying to get the older man's attention.

"What's Ed Campeggio doing here?" Denny asked.

Alan turned to look. His expression was one of bemused curiosity. "The one who drove Shirley thoroughly nuts during the Terrel &amp; Squib case? Dear God, he really must have been in diapers back then."

"Wait here, Alan, I'm going to see who he's meeting." Denny said with a mischievous twinkle.

Alan, having become Denny s unofficial handler, set off after him. "I hope it's someone with some experience under their belt, if Shirley had trouble with him..." Alan began.

"She knew she was never going to win that case outright, but she thought she could knock them around in the courtroom and get a better settlement. Still if he's going up against someone junior, we'll need to put someone senior with them. You know, Alan, I always wanted a crack at that kid. He reminds me of me when I was getting started," Denny said.

"He's going into Lewiston's office. Paul can handle himself, Denny, let's just go," Alan said, realizing Campeggio's destination.

"No, wait! That's Shirley in there. Come on. I have to see what's happening," Denny said advancing toward the door that was swinging shut; which he caught and opened wide. He beamed at the room like a cat that had discovered a bowl of cream.

"Denny." Shirley Schmidt said in long suffering tone.

"You know, I was just going to lunch and I saw Ed here stepping out of the elevator. I thought I was going to have to follow you to make sure you didn't eat any junior partners." Denny said in jest as he offered his hand to the young man.

"Denny, you old bloodhound; still picking up the scent of action I see. Too bad you're going to lunch. I still owe you for all those lunches during the Orpheus mess," Campeggio replied with a heartfelt handshake.

"Lunches?" Shirley asked.

"I took him to lunch when he was wrangling with you all day in the courtroom. You don't wrestle a bear all day without working up an appetite. Kid needed his strength," Denny said with a smile.

Shirley gave Denny a stare that would wither most plant life.

"Well, he's not here to 'wrangle' with our firm, Denny, he's here to ask us to take up the class action work on a test case he's running," Paul Lewiston said.

"Really!" Denny said with excitement.

"Denny, our lunch?" Alan interjected, picking up the mood from Shirley and Paul.

"Yes, just two minutes, Alan. Shirley can I see you in the hall? Alan and I really have to leave, but I need a word before we go; something I forgot to tell you." He turned back to his friend. "Alan, you mentioned diapers. You should ask Ed here to tell you a funny story about that. It's funnier first hand and I don't think Paul has heard it," Denny said while hustling Shirley out the door.

"Diaper story?" Lewiston said with confusion, watching the two leave.

"Oh, it was my first day in the courtroom. I had been doing legal work as an attorney, but it was all filing briefs. I'd never been in the hot seat before in open court. My colleagues, who were working for Projectors United, tossed me out there hoping I'd be a sacrificial lamb. We knew we had a good case, but up against a name like Shirley Schmidt, none of them wanted to stand out there and get badgered. I was seventeen. I'd passed the bar, but no one wanted to give such a young man a chance to argue before the court. I thought it was my chance to get out there if I had to take a hammering to do it, so be it," Campeggio said.

"Shirley didn't pull any punches I hear. She saw this nervous, wet behind the ears kid all but offered up on a dish and decided to break him right there," Alan added.

"That she did. I'll never forget her first remarks to the judge: 'Your Honor, I'll ask ahead of time for your forgiveness, but I'm having trouble taking this seriously when opposing counsel is of an age where he might have to call a recess to check his diapers.' Which, of course, caused the whole courtroom to laugh," Campeggio recalled with a smile.

"You realize, now, I hope, that she was trying to make your fellows feel bad. It was quite cowardly to toss you out there like that," Lewiston said diplomatically.

"I don't mind. Actually, you could say that I owe Shirley. It was in that moment that my resolve firmed up. I wasn't going to be laughed at; I straightened up, looked her in the eye and said: 'Funny, I was just going to raise the same objection.' The court room went silent and her eyes widened. From that point, it was, 'on' to use the vernacular, " Campeggio said.

Lewiston arched an eyebrow while Alan simply looked incredibly amused.

Outside, Shirley had stepped away from Denny and glared at him.

"Denny, I really don't have time for..." She began.

"This is important and neither of us really has a lot of time. Look, I'm not kidding around about this kid. I saw the fire in him when you went up against him. His first day in the courtroom and he gives it back to someone that lawyers twice his age even three times so were reluctant to face. That kid has been going nowhere but up from there. Over the last year, I've been looking for cases I could stick myself into; something big. Something I thought would make an epic ending to the story of _Denny Crane!_ I stopped when it just struck me as too desperate. It would look so contrived. Real life never works out like a story. But I know this: whatever that Kid is working on, jump on it, Shirley." Denny said, some of his old fire and clarity leaking through.

"You sound sure about this," Shirley said, sensing a spark of the old Denny igniting.

"I can see the fire in his eyes. He's on to something big. If he needs help at our level to pull it off, it's the sort of thing that will rock the pillars. More then that, look at us! We need the new blood. Work this case with him, then pull him in Shirley. Use this to recruit him. We both know this place needs some new faces. None of us are getting any younger," Denny said quietly before opening the door.

"Ready?" Alan asked as the door opened and he looked back into the hall.

"We'll be fashionably late, but we'll make it. Let's go," Denny responded.

Alan passed out of the door into the hall. He saw indecision on Shirley's face for a brief second before it turned decisive. She nodded to Alan and as soon as he was past reentered the room and closed the door.

* * *

May 5th, 2008

Silbern Household, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana

* * *

The metal cables on the weight machine groaned in protest as Kai pulled furiously. His enormous chest muscles bulged outward dramatically as he pushed himself harder and faster. He had stripped down to only a pair of exercise shorts and running shoes. His face was a mask of concentration, but the dramatic clang of the weights said all that needed to be said about the giant man's mood. Behind him, he heard the door to the gym open and close, but he ignored it, focusing on the task at hand. Sweat beaded on his body, as he fought to let the weight back down in a controlled manner. Despite this, they clanged into place quite a bit harder than he desired.

"Well, it looks like you're back in fighting shape," Alex said.

Kai did not respond. The only sound in the room was the rhythmic clanging of weights.

Alex furrowed his brow, annoyed. "I'm going to lock you out of this room if you tear anything else up. It's not the machine's fault that the big tittied doctor doesn't like you," he chided as he drew up behind Kai.

"Are you trying to start a fight?" Kai asked as he struggled to pull the weight back up.

"It would be less destructive than you taking out your frustrations on my equipment," Alex said, unamused.

"An altercation between us would destroy this entire compound and you know it," Kai stated plainly as he released the weights again.

"We could take it into the ring, gloves up," Alex offered.

"Are you looking to help me, or are you seeking to work out your own frustrations? I am someone who could fight you fairly. You don't get that opportunity very often, do you, my _little _cousin?" Kai asked, standing up to emphasize the inch and a half height difference between the two men. "You are a man of action. Being an administrator of others does not appeal to you. Your unhappiness is as plain to see as my own."

"That's none of your business," Alex said coldly.

"Nor are my problems with the Woman any of yours," Kai replied.

"Look, just stop breaking my equipment! Oh, and get a shower. The lawyers are back. They want to start setting up for your interview with the media," Alex barked.

"That, I will do," Kai said grabbing a towel.

"And cut the sulking Viking crap. She has a name. You might want to use it," Alex said turning to leave.

"I will when I have to. It is too painful to use it casually," Kai murmured, almost to himself.

Surprised, Alex turned to watch Kai exit into the shower room. That was genuine pain he heard in Kai's voice. He had assumed his 'butthurt,' as he had referred to it, over Terra's rejection was pride.

"Oh dear God," Alex said to himself. He realized then that this man, who was just over thirty, had now fallen in love for the first time in his life.

_Everyone should fall in love for the first time when they're teens. _Alex thought to himself. The human tolerance for drama and bullshit was much higher then.

Casting off his musings, he turned to find the lawyers and warn them this could get messy.

A few hours later, Terra was reading over some notes Shirley Schmidt had given her while a young Toreador vampire did her makeup.

"I don't feel right about this. I feel like it's a disaster waiting to happen," Terra said.

"You'll do fine. It's the other one that I'm worried about, but I also know Ed knows what he's doing," Shirley said, completely ignorant that the man working on Terras make-up was undead.

The vampire swung Terra around so she could see herself in the mirror. "There, you look perfect!"

"I look awful!" Terra said, seeing herself in the mirror. She looked careworn like she hadn't had a good night sleep in a week. Ironic, as she'd been sleeping just fine despite her pregnancy and moments of panic, like the one she was currently experiencing. She had become far too busy working alongside Linka and Sparks, categorizing the differences and powers she and her fellow Manifested displayed, to spend too much time worrying.

The slender man looked at Terra. "Well, you should look bad, right? It's part of the appearance you want to project. Or so I was told."

"Exactly. Thank you, but we need to talk," Shirley said shooing him away. The vampire shrugged and walked out of the room.

"Look you have to keep that devotion to the others, to the Manifested, at the forefront of your mind. You empathize so deeply with them, I'll bet you can work up some real tears out there for the cameras. You need to really sell this," Shirley said.

A shrill voice interrupted her. "Tears! Oh no, no! I was not informed there would be weeping! I'll have to change your makeup entirely if you're going to weep! It will run and ruin the illusion that this is your natural appearance! Back up!" The makeup artist interjected, hurrying back into the room.

Surprised, Shirley backed away. Briefly, she speculated on the damage to confidentiality of them being overheard. Deciding the damage was done, she continued. "You can sell this. It's something you're genuinely passionate about. Think about the others. You have to let their pain leak out of your face, your body language and even your voice. Just remember you are the only one who can speak for them."

"You're right! I can do this..." Terra said, steeling herself.

Changes were quickly made to Terra's makeup. Afterwards, she was ushered to the area where the lucky reporters were getting the first scoop, the first real interview with a pair of very wanted criminals; at a reputedly unknown location of course.

Shirley walked over to watch along with Campeggio, Alex, Heather and Doc Spectre.

"I hope you did something about the Austrian Death Machine over there. German accents don't play well towards being harmless with an American audience," Alex said.

"It's taken care of, don't worry," Campeggio said simply as the interview began. His voice was full of confidence.

What Campeggio alluded to soon became apparent. Heather covered her mouth in surprise when Kai completely fumbled the first question, stumbling out a response that lacked not only sense but any coherence.

As the interview continued the same thing kept happening. Each mistake only seemed to fluster and bother the giant man further. He was unable to recover. He seemed an utter fool. As a result, the interviewers focused on Terra, who masterfully answered the questions with a mixture of righteous zeal and heart breaking worry.

"Oh Jesus Christ..." Alex moaned.

"Poor Kai..." Heather said.

"He came across looking like a complete moron," the Doc said, grousing as he lit a cigar.

Shirley wasn't looking at the television, however, she was watching the stern face of Edmond Campeggio. She barely caught the very briefest of smiles flash across it as the interview ended. "You did that on purpose? You made that man look like a bumbling idiot!" She realized.

"The Government has worked hard to make him an object of fear. The only thing that disarms fear quick enough for our need is laughter. You can't fear something you're laughing at," Campeggio said, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"So you turned him from Amon Göth to Colonel Klink?" Spectre asked.

"Being seen as a big, goofy clown will ruin his reputation. You may have destroyed his livelihood as a merc," Alex said neutrally.

"That life is over. One way or another, he's going to have to come to terms with that. Deep down I think he has." Campeggio said with some sympathy.

The broadcast when out, albet on a delay, while simultaneously and secretly being copied by the Seven's local agents and uploaded to the Net with just enough delay to be believable. Physical copies were prepared for the next time their Corax allies showed up to be distributed across the globe. Meanwhile, one of the Nosferatu, who was overseeing the technical tasks needed to distribute the interview from their distant bunker, noticed an unusual ping hit his computer.

Fearing Technocratic tracking, he prepared to pull the plug, when a message packet hit his screen.

If you are allies of Kai and Terra, we need to talk. This is the Manifested Underground. We owe Kai our freedom.

He started to run a trace, however, it kept looping around leading nowhere and crossing back over itself. Eventually a new message hit his screen.

The trace is pointless and distracting. Stop it and talk or I will disconnect the link.

The vampire leaned back in his chair and decided this had best be sent up the chain of command. He typed a response.

Please hold. I'm just a tech.

"BOSS! Better get Mason on the line... I think the other Manifested found us," he called out to the warren's elder.

Later that night, Campeggio stood with members of the local clique along with Kai, Terra and Shirley. They had been relaying questions to the Air Manifested named Nicole who had shared Terra's prison. She revealed that, of those Kai freed, only Ashley had been recaptured in the attempt to rescue her family.

Amber and Kayla had aided her from a distance and when the attempt failed, they documented Ashley's recapture. Nicole then uploaded the video to the Net; which she displayed an uncanny ability to navigate and to do so in such a way that seemed to defy any non-Manifested from stopping her.

Together, the three women, using Nicole's skills, banded together with other groups of Manifested, including free groups in nations that had not organized a response to the growing phenomenon, as well as those keeping their heads low in more repressive nations. It was from Nicole they learned that, so far, only a handful of males had manifested. The appearance of so many women with extraordinary powers was overwhelming to the more oppressive and sexist regimes in the world, something the three women reported with glee.

"This is all fascinating, but our case is here in the U.S. We need to get back to that. Can they give me something I can use here? We have testimony, but can they get me hard proof of illegal imprisonment? Documented injuries caused by guard staff? Numbers taken? Anything?" Campeggio asked.

Nikki nodded, her fingers were flying across the keyboard as she typed out Campeggio's questions. Information windows and files piled onto her computer. She read the screen for quite some time, then she turned and looked at Campeggio with a smile.

"Names, dates, locations where they were taken from as well as other like them. The locations were those still captive are incarcerated, authorizations for experiments that are almost up there with Josef Mengele, she can even get you live video feeds," Nikki beamed.

"We've won this. You realize that it's all over. They've already lost," Campeggio crowed to Shirley.

He turned back to the screen to see Nikki playing some of the video provided. His face darkened at what he saw. "I know what this looks like, but we _don't_ want to use the term Nazi or the names of any members of that regime in making comparisons. People have thrown the word around so much it's lost its edge. They won't take us or our evidence seriously. We'll let these images speak for themselves. There will be others who'll make the comparison for us," Campeggio said darkly.

"Ed this is... horrible. I can't believe even the sickest member of our government would be party to this," Shirley said.

"Germany was a democratic government just like ours. Never underestimate the sort of cancer that can slip in if no one's paying attention. Sadly, it doesn't take corruption at the top, just enough men with enough power to get away with this sort of monstrosity," Campeggio said.

"You're going to stop this, right?" the Doc asked.

"Very much so," Shirley stated firmly.

"Good, because if it can't be stopped your way, we'll do it his way," Spectre said nodding at Kai.

"One way or the other it will be stopped. I will not have the child I sired come into a world where he or she will have to fear for their future. It will not happen, even if I have to burn this world down and rebuild on its ashes," Kai said with cold fury.

Terra nodded approvingly then turned to see what more could be done.

* * *

July 2, 2008

St. Januarius Private Hospital

* * *

Kai stood focused on the scene before him. Nikki was staring at several screens where information from other laboratories was streaming in and being tabulated. This collation of data was precipitated by Terra's pregnancy. Dr. Alani herself had been asked not to look at the raw data and worry herself with incomplete conclusions as she was the subject of research and thus might skew the work.

Heather was holding Terra's hand. In the months since they had first met, Heather's pregnancy had progressed noticeably. Terra's, however, had not. Other parties were also standing around the room. As much as they would have liked for this to be private, there were too many variables related to this pregnancy that would determine the course of events for months to come.

Even Mike and Axe had showed up. Axe, apparently, in genuine support of Terra. Mike, Kai assumed, had only made an appearance due to his eventual payoff schedule being affected by the lawsuits.

"First off, we have nothing else to base our findings on but one set of observations of one subject. Of the Manifested women that we know of around the globe, only a few have conceived. Of those that have, none seemed to have progressed at what we would think of at a normal rate. We have been able to determine, however, that you, Miss Alani, are the first of your people to get knocked up! That's now confirmed, so big hand for setting a first ever record!" Nikki exclaimed as she clapped excitedly.

"Nikki!" Heather sighed.

"Right, right moving right along! In addition to your denser flesh, stronger bones and higher regenerative factors, your fetus seems fine. It's maturing, however, it's doing so on a different timetable than a normal pregnancy." Nikki responded.

"Different timetable? How long will this take then?" Terra asked in a worried tone.

"By our estimates, fifteen months. All the heel dragging by our foes to get your baby born before going into a courtroom seems to have been for shit!" Nikki said with a smile, giggling slightly as she did so.

"Why would it be a longer pregnancy? That's almost double!" Terra said, worried.

"Due to your physiology, the fetus is taking its time to develop. It seems your body is, frankly, better designed. It can grow a child while not endangering itself. It's not tapping deep into your reserves of energy. It is better at regulating its own immune system to the presence of foreign cells…" She looked up at a monitor and back at her chart. "Do you want to know the sex of the baby?"

Terra looked at Kai, who nodded calmly. "Yes, please." Terra said.

"It's a little girl," Nikki remarked.

Terra smiled and looked at Kai, who attempted to remain impassive, but failed. A proud, but uneasy grin crept across his face. The moment, however, was somewhat broken by a question from Alex.

"Does this mean they're not human? Is that an angle the other legal team could take to fight us that they're another species and thus human rights don't apply being not human?"

"Different species don't interbreed. They can't do that, Alex . Different races sometimes can, but it's not race like you're likely to think about in a racist way. That's actually an improper term. Humanity is all one race. Our skin colors just make us different ethnicities, sort of like all dogs are _canis familiaris_ regardless whether it's a German Shepard or a Golden Retriever. They're still dogs. A wolf is _canis lupis._ It's a different race, but still can sometimes breed. Dogs and Horses are different species and can't... magic notwithstanding," Spectre said, explaining his theory.

"Close enough to right for our purposes anyhow!" Nikki cheerfully chimed in.

"You're sure both Terra and the girl are safe? Nothing to indicate future danger?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, infact, temporal probing induced she'll be born extremely healthy, given no, you know, large changes to the timestream, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with this process. It's just different," Nikki said.

"Right, good, then I'm out. Pregnant chicks aren't my thing," Mike said, stepping back out the door.

"I had better let the lawyers know," Spectre said, picking up a phone.

"Let's go tell the others, then," Terra said to Kai, indicating they exit the hall that lead back under Alex's house.

Through the corridor, they found themselves in the underground bunker below Alex and Heather's house. Not far away, they could hear the sounds of the firing range. Heading into the range, Kai observed the progress of the ladies from Mexico. Each one had dedicated herself to never being captured again. With Kai's help, they had worked to become soldiers. Each of the women had begun to develop powers in relation to their burgeoning firearms skills, similar to how each received powers upon Manifestation related to their own intrinsic set of skills.

The noise of the firing range, as well as hearing protection the users wore, made audible communication useless. Kai flickered a light to let them know to put down their weapons.

"Ladies! I have good news and bad news," Terra said after the women removed their protective ear wear and turned to her.

"Good news first," Valentina said.

"I am still pregnant. It's a girl and she's healthy," Terra announced.

The ladies let up a cheer of excitement.

"The bad news is, I'll be pregnant much longer than a normal woman. It seems that it takes us fifteen months to bring a child to term. I guess it's the downside of our having less symptoms," Terra said, explaining the situation.

There were many questions and just as many speculations. Terra did her best to answer all she could, even the ones that were in Spanish.

Kai watched and listened. While Terra had shown much improvement in speaking Spanish, he had yet to master more than the few phrases Valentina had taught him before he had ended their rather uncomfortable lessons.

"Not that any of this knowledge will do us any good! From what we know, there's so few of our kind that are male, and you've done a bang up job of making sure the only one that we have is out of reach," Valentina said bitterly.

Terra gaped at the young woman like a fish, speechless.

"Do not blame her for the choices I have made, Valentina," Kai said with a frown.

"Fine! Then I'll yell at _you_! You're handsome, heroic and anyone of us would sleep with you! Hell, several of us have offered! More than one of us at a time have offered to sleep with you! But, despite this, you still say no! You say your heart is hers! She doesn't want it! If that's the case, send it somewhere else," Valentina said, the temperature around her growing warmer as sparks crackled about her form.

Terra shook her head in confusion. "Wait a minute. You've all been throwing yourselves at him?"

"Maybe you haven't felt it, but we've all been feeling horny as hell! We feel it with each other and especially around him," another confessed.

"I didn't used to ever think about women, but I find I do now and it doesn't bother me. I still prefer men, however. In particular, I want that one." She pointed at Kai. "I like him. I have always liked him. I like his bravery. I like his cute accent and I _really _like his body," Valentina said.

"There are other men in this place," Kai said.

"You've read the reports! Some of us have done that, but you know we crave each others' company! I tried it. It just felt wrong to me," a third woman said.

"If you think I'm keeping him from you, I'm not. I've told him I don't love him! We had some no attachment, crisis situation, stress relief sex and that's it! He's all yours. Hell, even if I did want him, I wouldn't be keeping him to myself if we are biologically programed to desire each other over humans, there has to be a reason. Although, this skewing of the numbers so heavily in favor of females doesn't make much sense," Terra said, the color in her face rising.

"Of course it does. One male can be of service to many females. They are the more expendable sex," came a voice from the doorway. The group turned to find Pops Rayburn standing in the doorway. He was in human form with a blanket wrapped around him like a toga.

Valentina looked up and snapped at the interloper. "What do you know, old man!?"

"More than you, little girl. The spirits awakened me. Not the ones I normally commune with, however. Powerful spirits who say they are but simple messengers of far greater and grander spirits. They have touched me and from them I have seen. The memory of the Mokole stretches back to the beginning. We were divided, but the four streams come together to form a river and so too must all come together The Garou and other Fera, the Mage and the Hunter and even the dead and the living," Rayburn said, giving them all an intense stare.

"What wisdom do you have for us, old one?" Terra asked.

"Shut it. You act respectful, but you are full of pride. You were chosen to be the first mother. The spirits know your heart. Your love of children, your protective nature, your tenderness in love and your fury in the defense of others. But, you have strayed from your intended course. You think you know what is best for you, but you are a child who does not know her own heart, nor the hearts of others. You have seen the hand of fate and know deep down it was not random chance that he was the one who came to rescue you. The timing was too right. The results too perfect. The spirits are prepared for either war or peace, but they were not prepared for a little girl who thinks herself a woman to defy them because of an old wound caused by a mortal man festers in her heart," Rayburn said in a lecturing tone.

Kai stepped forward. "What do you mean, old man? You have upset her!"

"She knows what I mean and my words were for her. You, however, are a different problem. The world needs an army of defenders. This generation alone will not suffice," Rayburn said.

"I am a warrior. I am not breeding stock," Kai said indignantly.

"You are BOTH! You do only half the job you were chosen for, and half measures don't win wars! Things are coming. Dark, terrible things. They will make the challenges of the apocalypse fade into the shadows with how horrid they will be! Yet, you think of love like a little boy? Love doesn't factor into this. Love is for those with the leisure to be expendable. You need sons and daughters to stand beside you when the darkness comes. This is about survival. Breed or die. Not just for your own people, but for all peoples and all forms of life. You were given an important place, but the world will move on without you, if you don't act. The Mokole in Asia already act, and as the Blood of the Dragons there listens, so too must you listen. The Great Dragons of the world move. They share their blood with you, those who held some drop of their power left over from the time before. They picked the strongest first, but they are still deepening their gift. In time, the power of the gift will wind down. All that will be left is what is in you. By your blood and loins will it live or die. By your choices it will flourish and grow or fade. This gift was given long ago before even the Mokole. It is a miracle that the Great Dragons have been able to bring it back. Should it fade again, forever will it vanish," Rayburn said, turning away.

He then shuffled unceremoniously back down the hall, not even bothering to glance back at any of the stunned individuals in the room.

Finally, Valentina broke the silence. "What the hell was all of that?"

Terra shook her head, somewhat stunned. Her mind was a blur, trying to comprehend what she had been told.

"I do not pretend to understand all of his words, however, I do believe that our power was given to us with a purpose. Before now, it is a purpose I could never have guessed at. Such gifts are never without cost. That cost has become clear. We have all been drafted. That we are warriors, no, soldiers, has become apparent to me, although the nature of the foe we were being mustered to fight confounded me. Now he says they are a force that has yet to come; more deadly than any known," Kai said, musing.

"You buy that?" Valentina asked.

"A enemy like no other would justify an army like no other, and that we are. This means we have a duty to the world. The old man said there is an unseen hand in this, a spiritual one that is giving the world a choice; make room for us with or without war. We must, at all costs, try to integrate as peacefully as possible. All of our resources and energy must be saved until the time is right."

Kai then looked down at his feet and then up to the ceiling of the shooting range. He let out a sigh.

"We have another duty as well. Those who gave us this power entrusted us to create more soldiers. If we do not, we leave those few children we would otherwise have with no support and no allies. The old man is right. My own feelings be damned, I will not have my daughter stand alone when destiny calls," Kai said with resignation.

A few of the other women looked at each other. Some were skeptical, a few looked pleased. "Well, don't get too excited about it," one woman quipped, realizing what Kai meant with his declaration.

Terra looked at Kai incredulously. "What?"

"I will not betray my daughter's future, not even if it costs me her mother's love," Kai said with steel in his voice.

Valentina's eyes widened. "Wait, wait, wait! All it takes is for an old black guy dressed in a toga to spout some shit and you completely change your mind?"

"His words mirrored and confirmed many of my own inner thoughts. I feel the rightness in them." Kai explained.

Terra stared at Kai with a look of puzzlement on her face, as if she was wrestling with some inner conflict.

The door to the target range opened and Doc Spectre walked in. He looked about at the somber faces. "I guess that explains what Pops was doing up here. Never known that old man to meddle unless it was needed. Hell, it must have been important. He was in human form and bothered to cover his saggy old balls," Spectre said, smiling.

"That old man gives true warnings and real omens?" Valentina asked.

"So far as I've ever heard, yes. Word is, his people, the Mokole, have become increasingly active. In Asia the Beast Courts call them the Wisdom of Gaia. Each of the shapechangers is supposed to have some purpose or role to fill. When they all do their job they're almost unstoppable, but they hardly ever do that. They all came to hate and fear each other with some small exceptions. Most notably, in the far east and now here. Here we use anyone for what they're good at and encourage everyone to stay off each other's toes. The Fera seem like they were meant to be an army with each type having it's own part to play. Similar to how your elements each seem to have an area of expertise that reinforces each other, " the Doc said.

"I guess if their job is being wise, we should listen," Valentina said begrudgingly.

"Probably. Even Alex listens to Pops and he doesn't put much stock in wisemen or spirits," Spectre said.

Kai held up his hand. "I doubt you came to comment on the old man's choice of attire or merits of his wisdom. You were on the phone with our lawyers, yes?"

"Yeah. I just got off the phone with the kid. Campeggio has got a deal worked out, and for your case to continue you're going to have to go along with it. Most of it you're going to like, but there are parts you're going to hate," Spectre said, with a warning in his voice.

"What's the news?" Terra inquired in a tired tone.

"The detainment centers have an injunction on them. No one new can be placed in them and neutral observers are being sent in from groups like the Red Cross to ensure the condition are humane. In addition, inspectors from the Justice Department are being sent by the President to review the happenings at the camps and to investigate claims of abuse," Spectre said.

"That's ...that's great!" Terra said with a smile.

"The bad news?" Kai asked.

"To continue your legal proceedings, you have to be taken into official custody," the Doc explained.

"No! We will not!" Kai said, stepping in front of Terra.

"Hold on, hold on! It's not like that. For one, Campeggio has already cut a deal for your release on ten million dollars bond. He put his own money up to cover that," Spectre hastily added.

"He put down a million dollars for us? Isn't a bond usually ten percent down and the bondsman loans the other ninety?" Terra asked.

"Actually, it's two million. There's a ten million dollar bond on each of you, and, yes, he put his house up as collateral for you. The kid's got a few million, but it's not liquid like that," the Doc said.

"You help us because you are also supernatural. I know that some of you see us as a test to gauge the reaction for your own kind's coming out of the shadows. This Campeggio knows none of that. He fights for the joy of the battle and a cause he believes in, I admire his faith in us and his fighting spirit," Kai said.

"So, we won't be going into confinement?" Terra asked.

"Our own state police unit the A.W.T.E.P.S.* group will read you your rights, process you and then put you into an armored van and take you to the Federal Courthouse. From there, you'll go straight into the courtroom. The judge will read the terms of the surrender and bail agreement and release you. As long as you don't leave the state of Louisiana, you'll then be on bail. Maria will then go pick you up in an SUV she rented and take you to the Grove Center for Paranormal Research where they have arranged a living space for you to officially resided. However, Maria has the same space warping tunnels Nikki insisted on putting in all our main bases, so you can move about somewhat freely between here and there. After that, the court case will really heat up. The heel dragging is pretty much over. Rather than drag things out, the other side has realized they have to take action. This isn't going away," Spectre said.

"I do not want to be in handcuffs," Kai said.

"I do," Terra said.

"What?" Kai asked.

"Remember what Campeggio said. We want to play up the sympathy. I want to be handcuffed. You want to be too and trying to shield me from the cameras with your body. We have a role to play," Terra said.

"Oh yes. That we do. Be sure your ghoul squad has large enough cuffs then. Something comically oversized, perhaps?" Kai said to the Doc.

"I think we have some restraints made to hold a Garou that that might work," the Doc said.

"This is good. This is forward movement," Terra said with a smile. The tired and strained look on her face began to vanish at the idea.

"Yes. That at least is reassuring. Speaking of which..." Kai said, turning to the other women. "I have not forgotten my promise. When we return from this play acting, I will make good on my word. I do think we will refrain from anything too wild or orgy like, however, so draw straws or whatever you have to do to determine an order for us to proceed. Let us try to be friends as well as have sex. If not, well, then, we will at least try our best not to embarrass each other," Kai said with a smile.

The Doc raised an eyebrow, but asked no questions. He left to get matters moving.

* * *

Hours later in Texas

* * *

The club was dark. The music was loud, and it masked the sounds of voices from any listeners. It was more the place one would expect a fashionable Camarilla Toreador to visit, not the sort of place one would expect to find a secret agent for the Sabbat. This helped cover the meeting.

She looked at the other vampire in the booth. "What did you have to show me?"

The male vampire was slight. He was pale, even for one his kind. He produced an empty packet with just a faint smell of cocaine lingering.

"This is your wrapper, I believe? Some of our associates in Florida were sold several pallets of marijuana and numerous bricks like this of cocaine. We traced the sale back to two men. One we couldn't get a picture of, the other was the werewolf known as Axe. Put that together with the description given by our operatives for the first. Well, it could only be one person; an old enemy of the Fiends: Mike Deangelo."

"Deangelo, eh? What rock is that snake and his pet wolf hiding under this time?" She asked with a scowl.

"Under the biggest rock around. Where all the other worms go to hide. Where neither our Serpents of Light nor your Sabbat raids can get to them," he replied snidely.

"Maybe we just haven't used a big enough hammer," the female said.

"Or maybe, two hammers should be used," the slight vampire suggested.

"Yes. Perhaps, we could pool our resources," she said.

They talked for hours. Each proposing a deal and counter deal. They came to an accord and it was very, very bad.

* * *

*Advance Weapons and Training for Emergency and Paranormal Situations


	7. Chapter 7

2012

Dark Side of the Moon, Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

"As you can all see, we continued to lose ground. Popular opinion continued to shift against our wishes. Only the most massive and intensive campaign of combined mind bending and focused P.R. could have turned the tide. In response to that, this very council chose to end our counter offensive and seek other means to regain control of the situation," Claus said.

"Which, due to your previous work on alternative scenarios, you jumped on immediately." the Form Keeper said.

"Correct. I coordinated my efforts with the majority of the directors. By unifying our approach, we put into place a series of executive orders and policies that would highly regulate the Manifested. We delayed settling the court cases and closing the detention centers until we knew our ground work was complete and an alternative system was in place to quickly monitor and track them," Claus said, explaining his actions.

"I noticed you did not reach a consensus with the Asian directors. In fact, you cut them out of the loop entirely," the Dissenter said, noting the highly unusual move.

Claus raised his eyes to the Dissenter. "I believe, given their performance to date regarding the issue, my choice was logical. They are still on probation for their failure to unify behind the Council's directives."

The Chief cut across the two. "That investigation is still ongoing. There is still grave suspicion surrounding the Asian arm of our Technocratic Order. Some believe it has allowed itself to be unduly influenced by outside powers."

"Not the Manifested, surely, or it would have been seen in other regions. Perhaps other reality deviants hoping to follow in their wake to public acceptance?" Claus mused.

"I have personally always been suspicious that the hemophages would try that route. With ghostly phenomena and spiritually animated corpses being documented, it would not be a large step in the public mind. Not to mention the romanticism of vampires is popular in modern culture," the Dissenter said with an air of worry.

"In such an event, if the situation was unable to be contained, would it not be best to quickly spin them as predators or parasites, then unleash the Manifested on them? Given the proper nudge, they could be the solution to many of our reality deviance problems," Claus said, a gleam appearing in his eye.

Our control is far from tight enough for such drastic action, but, for now, let's review the steps taken so far to leash the Manifested. Perhaps we can indeed harness them tighter. Like a dog, control is what turns a wild beast into a faithful tool of the shepherd," the Chief said.

Nodding, the assembly returned to the review.

* * *

United States Court of Federal Claims, Washington D. C.

* * *

Mitch Larson frowned as he double checked his papers. Grim determination filled him as he glared across at his opponent. For months, the best attorneys the United States could muster had been getting bloodied and bruised by this damned kid, but now the bastard's luck had run out.

First, the Government's legal team had been forced to give up prosecution of the Austrian for his attack on the Manifested detainment center. Too much of the evidence required to bring indictments against him had to remain classified. The United States' attempt to have him declared an enemy combatant and therefore transferred to a military court had been stopped by the brat lawyer's clever questions about when the United States had made a declaration of enmity with a group that included some of it's own citizens.

With the public spin and how the media was lapping up the case's every move, they needed to stay away from any trial that would involve a jury. The public's negative reaction to the detainment of the Manifested by the government far outweighed any other of the outrages committed so far during the War on Terror or even Japanese citizens during World War II. Giving members of the public a chance to vent their ire was an open invitation for an acquittal.

The legal battles surrounding the case had turned into a war of attrition. It seemed every time the Federal legal teams thought they finally had an upper hand on the situation, their case would stall. Now, instead of prosecuting a terrorist, as had originally been the case, the United States found itself on the defensive in a suit for a violation of civil rights. To top it off, Campeggio was seeking compensation for said violations. However, in this court, Larson thought he finally had a bead on the case. He knew Campeggio had finally gone too far and over reached himself. Also, Carl Winsor had made a wonderful scapegoat. His suicide had proven extremely convenient. He wasn't able to protest how much blame the government had shifted onto him posthumously.

This was where the government meant to draw their line in the sand. Here they were not dealing with a jury but a panel of judges. Here public opinion wouldn't be such an issue. This would be a matter of law and Campeggio's spin doctoring would count for nothing.

The presiding judge looked up. "Mr. Campeggio has filed a protest that the documents he has requested for discovery have not been supplied."

"Your Honor, the documents in question do not exist. I don't know where Mr. Campeggio acquired the notion that they did," Larson said with a cool air about him.

"That is a falsehood, your Honor! I know the documents exist because I already possess them. While I could supply this court with the copies I posses, I know the State would claim they had been doctored. I want officially sanctioned copies of the documents so as to provide this court with clean evidence that will not be tainted by claims of illegitimacy," Campeggio said

"If these documents existed they would be classified as top secret. As such, we are fortunate they don't exist, or Mr. Campeggio would be committing a criminal act by his very possession of such evidence," Larson said smugly.

The Judge took a drink of water and gave both parties a tired look. "Both of you approach the bench."

Both walked to the ornate bench, their footsteps echoing off the marble floor of the building. The Judge took the opportunity to give them both another tired and somewhat reproachful look. "You have these documents with you Mr. Campeggio?"

"Right here on this flash drive, your Honor. The master copies are locked away safe," Campeggio declared.

The Judge leaned forward slightly. "What do these documents contain and what relevance do they hold?"

"They are the research notes detailing the abuses disguised as experiments conducted on the Manifested in general and Dr. Alani in particular. They establish numerous violations of basic human rights. It has direct bearing on the damage claims," Campeggio said.

"Your Honor, the stated documents don't exist, despite whatever forgeries he possesses..." Mitch started.

"Zip it, councillor," the Judge snapped.

Mitch stopped in shock.

"Are you going to claim reading them would be prejudicial? That they shouldn't be allowed as evidence? If that were to happen, then Mr. Campeggio here is going to make some statement about how if they aren't evidence, he has no reason to keep them. Then he'll speculate about which news outlet he should hand them over to. I have been watching all this sparing in all the other courtrooms you've been battling across before you ended up here and it's tiresome," the Judge explained.

"Then what do you propose, your Honor?" Campeggio asked.

"I don't propose. This is my courtroom. I don't negotiate on its rules. You, Mr. Larson, are going to spend the weekend digging up every document opposing counsel has requested and you will bring them with you on Monday to be entered into evidence," the Judge ordered.

Mitch started again. "But, your Honor, these..."

The Judge removed his horn rimmed spectacles. He held them in his hand and used them to gesture at Mr. Larson. "As _YOU_ should have done to begin with. _NOW_ if you don't, I will take Mr. Campeggio's documents and I and the panel will read them. We each have decades of experience reading government briefs and each have the ability to recognize the tone of such legitimate documents when we read them. Furthermore, should we decide these documents are legitimate, and you are not forthcoming with the government's copies, I will hold you in contempt and incarcerate you until such time as these documents are provided. Do I make myself clear?"

"Your Honor, you place the state in an untenable situation. I can't produce what doesn't exist," Larson said nervously.

"You've placed yourself in one. If you thought the Judiciary would have any sympathy for the Executive branch after how often it has attempted an end run around the Courts in this administration and with these Manifested in particular you, sir, were sadly mistaken," The Judge said.

He then turned to Campeggio. "While you, young man, are advised to cease trying to influence the courts with your engineer of public opinion. This is a nation of laws, not of fickle mob justice. The trial is here, not out there in front of the cameras," the Judge said firmly.

"My apologies, your Honor. I have sunk low to counter some dirty tactics. With you keeping things above the board, however, I see I have no cause for such embarrassing displays," Campeggio said.

"I hope you mean that," the Judge said, despite sounding unconvinced. "Now, both of you get back. Court is adjourned for the day. We'll meet again at 1 PM Monday."

* * *

Hours Later

* * *

John Dugen turned as Mitch Larson entered the small suite that had been rented as a command post for forward observation of Campeggio's rented D.C. office. It was crowded with other agents, huddled at their computers.

"The Judge is going to look over the documents Monday," Mitch said.

"I wouldn't worry. We'll have the leak contained and the documents wiped. We managed to intercept some traffic and decrypt Campeggio's communications with his Manifested insiders who figured out how to get past our security. It's Nicole Hart one of the Manifested that we had with Dr. Alani in containment, she is meeting with him today" John reassured him.

"Right, look, I know you guys have the best tech and all that, but still...how did you get that encryption broken so fast? The Justice Department and even some of our contacts at the NSA said it would be years before we could crack that, baring blind luck," Mitch asked.

"You know I can't tell you that, Mitch. Operational security and all that," John replied.

An agent at a monitoring station broke into their conversation. "Sir! It's happening now!"

"We'll have the bastard now! Receiving classified information from a spy. That's treason. He'll be the one needing a hotshot lawyer now," John said.

"Can't happen to a nicer guy. I can't wait to see it knock that smug smile off that brat's face," Mitch said excitedly.

"Send in the team. I want both of them subdued, their faces obscured, and in the van in four minutes," John ordered

Two minutes later all hell seemed to break loose. Reports flooded in from almost every monitoring station. John struggled to make sense of what was going on. Amidst the chaos, Mitch looked out the window to get a clearer view of what was happening first hand. What he saw made his eyes go wide. Cars were streaming in all down the street. Most of them vans. Vans with satellite equipment on their roofs.

"Those are news vans! It's every major news outlet! What are they doing here?" Mitch yelled over the din.

Meanwhile, the doors of Campeggio's office had been broken in as the assault team rushed in, only to find a slightly built man wielding a video recorder rather than Nicole Hart. She brandished the recorder in the lead trooper's face. "United Networks News. Can you gentlemen tell me why you have stormed into this lawyer's office?"

The lead trooper went with his training and smashed the camera with his rifle butt, while the next two behind him restrained the reporter. Three others rushed a past toward Campeggio who was near the window. He leapt out, quite unexpectedly, surprising the troopers, falling several stories into a dumpster below. Despite a few bruises and contusions, he managed to climb out of the trash container, calling to the approaching press for aid. On the street, reporters rushed forward.

"This was a goddamn set up!" Mitch said, rage building on his face. He was so preoccupied with what was happening that he didn't notice John had already exited the room.

John slipped away, conjuring a field of mental energy about him that would make people uncomfortable when they noticed him. In his mind, he was framing how he was going to report this failure to his superiors. Claus Werner himself had ordered him to find a way to nullify the attorney for the Manifested. That man had a long temper but, when it ran out, his blow ups were the stuff of legend. Reports of failure due to incompetence were one of the things known to set him off.

Campeggio, meanwhile, was being taken away for a sprained ankle, while reporters and regular police detained everyone of the intruders who burst into his office as well as those who were in the headquarters next door. The trap he and the Manifested had crafted together worked perfectly. With the world on alert, anymore shadow ops against them, even if successful, would create a stink. Caught with their hands in the cookie jar, he'd forced these people to operate in the light. That was well worth a drop into a dumpster.

* * *

October 31, 2008

Alani-Silbern Household, Orleans Parish, Louisiana

* * *

Kai and Terra entered the front door of the home they shared and paused in the foyer. Both were tired from a full day of playing 'twenty questions' with the press and making public appearances aimed at rallying political support for the cause of Manifested Liberation.

Kai bent over and unlocked his ankle monitoring bracelet. The addition of the annoying device had been an uncomfortable surprise the judge and prosecution had sprung on them at the courthouse when they turned themselves over. Luckily, with Nikki's technical skills and magic, they were easily fooled. Thus, those on the other end of the proverbial leash would see reports from the bracelets that Kai and Terra were wandering the house, regardless of where they traipsed off to via the hidden tunnels connected to their safehouse.

"I wanted to go back to the hospital today to continue my research. It's so late, however, I think I'll just skip it and get some rest," Terra said. She had, finally, begun to show that she was pregnant. Her belly had become quite round and her already very large breasts had increased in size dramatically. The blooms in her hair had also increased in vibrancy, as if reflecting her gravid, fertile state. As a result, the air around the young woman was filled with a heady, sweet smelling aroma.

"If you wish to rest or get more work done, I am fine with making some of these appearances alone. The reporters, at least, are likely to find it an amusing change of pace for a few days," Kai said. He too had changed. He had become quite adept at playing the harmless fool; over the months carefully crafting a public face that was an eclectic mix of one part partying-frat boy bodybuilder and one part Euro-Trash.

The only other activity that was available to Kai, other than training, in his confinement was to have sex with the other Manifested women. He and Valentina had quickly become lovers, with many of the other women in confinement following suit. However, Terra still remained aloof from him. They had grown closer in their confinement, even going so far as to become friends, but despite Kai's best efforts, she did not seem to return his romantic affections.

Terra laughed at Kai's offer. "Oh, I just bet they would. They love picking on you. I'm fairly amazed you manage not to strangle any of them."

"It is good practice. It is a role I will be playing for much of the future. I have decided to think of it as a form of camouflage. It hardly makes sense to disguise oneself as a tree only to get angry when someone mocks the tree for how much it looks like the other trees," Kai said.

"I suppose it is pretty good cover, isn't it? I never asked what you thought of them dropping most of the criminal charges against you," Terra said.

"At first, I was shocked. However, then I realized Campeggio's strategy. It seems fairly obvious if one thinks about it. If they were to charge me with murder in a civilian court, it would force them to reveal the number of men they lost and the level of military involvement in the incarceration of innocent Manifested civilians. The political blowback from that would be catastrophic. The only other option is to try me in a military court, and I will not be tried in a military court," Kai said confidently.

"Because trying to declare you an enemy combatant would lead to Campeggio to ask that very uncomfortable question," Terra said with a smile.

"You mean, 'When did the United States Government declare war on the Manifested?' Yes, the reactions to that line of questioning would be interesting to say the least. The unwillingness of any of these bureaucrats to take responsibility exposed their cowardice for all to see. I like this Campeggio. My initial judgement of him was quite wrong," Kai admitted

"Glad to hear it. Well, I'm going to get something to eat and then just rest." She put a hand on her swollen belly. "Growing a new life is still hard work, even if I have it easier than most women. However, don't let me going to rest interfere with your own plans," Terra teased as she smiled at Kai. She knew he was going to meet with the other Manifested women. She also thought she knew what that would probably lead to.

"Yes, I have to meet all the others at Alex's house," Kai said, remembering.

"All of them? That's ambitious, even for you!" Terra quipped.

"It is not for that! It is for weapons practice. They are becoming quite good. The small unit tactics I am teaching them continues to reveal new powers we can use to make our teamwork more effective," Kai countered.

"That's a worthy goal, teaching them to work together, but I think if the powers that be ever come to recapture us, they will send in the real army, not the jackbooted thugs we faced before." Terra said with sadness tinged in her voice.

"You should come see their work before you pass judgment. I do not think even facing the United States Army would be a hopeless situation," Kai said.

Terra shrugged. She waved goodbye to Kai and started into the kitchen. She admired the huge man's optimism, but unless Campeggio could win his case, she was afraid violence would be the inevitable result of their situation. Her fellow Manifested would fight bravely, but futilely. The numbers were simply against them. How could a few thousand women spread over the world face off against the nameless sea of soldiery and military equipment arrayed against them? No, despite Kai's bravado that if they failed, he would force the world to make a place for them, it just wasn't viable.

Kai, for his part, suited up into the new tactical armor that had been provided for him. He and the other Manifested, aside from Terra due to her condition, had each been given their own personal armor in which to train. After changing, he went into the hidden basement level of the house the New Orleans Council had provided. He picked a path through the labyrinthine tunnels. Nikki had attempted to explain the 'space compression' of the tunnels, but he had not really been listening. How it worked didn't interest him; only that it did, in fact, work.

As he exited toward the now familiar stairway to Alex and Heather's home, a younger werewolf Kai only barely recognized came barreling toward him. He was in human form and carrying two of Alex's daughters, the newborn and next to youngest in his arms while a third child held onto his back. The eldest girl ran behind him as best she could.

Kai's mind immediately leapt to trouble. "What is this?"

"Evacuation of the kids! We're under attack! They hit the main building and several places in the parish; Vital Fluids, Eveningstar Financial, Sparks Labs was bombed..." the young werewolf explained disjointedly.

"Calm yourself. Focus on your mission. Take these children to Terra," Kai ordered.

A small voice interjected. It was Alexandra, Alex and Heather's eldest daughter. "Mr. Kai? Are you gonna help daddy fight the bad guys?"

"Yes, little one. Go help take care of your sisters. The bad men will not trouble us long," Kai said.

The little girl gave Kai a serious nod and took off with the werewolf guard.

Kai sprinted up the stairs and down the hall, his long legs carrying him at a rapid pace towards the secure communications room that Heather had showed him. Arriving within moments, he skidded to a halt and touched his large hand to the security pad. With a soft beep the door opened. Unsurprisingly, Heather was already inside.

She glanced up momentarily before her eyes returned to a series of computer monitors. "Good to see you here, Kai. Grab a headset. I'll see where we need you in a minute," Heather said distractedly. Even though she had given birth less than two months before, Heather seemed nearly back in shape. Kai was not sure if it was the Vampire blood she consumed or Terra's medical treatments.

Kai found a head set and tuned it to the other Manifested while setting his large frame somewhat awkwardly at one of the computer terminals. The video feed was tinged green due to the night vision cameras. He cycled through monitor displays until he found Valentina and the others. On the monitor he saw she had split her group into two teams of four and three. They were using the tactics that he had taught them. He could not help but feel pride swell in his chest as they flawlessly executed their maneuvers.

"This is Kai. I am with Heather. I can see you on the monitors."

Valentina's voice crackled over the radio. "Kai! We could use some help out here!"

"Give me a minute to catch up with the action," Kai announced as he glanced over the monitors while half listening to the radio chatter around him.

"Alright, but don't take to long, _mi cariño_! You're missing all the fun," she quipped in a playful tone that was betrayed by the strain in her voice.

On Heather's screen, Kai saw Sabbat shock troops using heavy weapons and rush tactics on Alex's Garou. Those vampires would not be a problem for long. They were apparently unaware of the the mixed bag of cat-type skin changers that was slipping up behind them.

The Ghouls of A.W.T.E.P.S. were operating in three areas each pinning down a different group of human servitors who, by their locations, were pretty obviously the bombers that had attacked the local's business fronts.

Doc Spectre and a handful of other hunters chased down the intruders at Sparks Lab. However, the foes they faced seemed much better equipped and trained than the run of the mill cannon fodder the Sabbat typically used.

Most of the supernatural community in New Orleans clustered their homes around the land that Alex owned. Apart from the strikes in the business district of New Orleans, most of the fighting was centered in this area. The battle had evolved into a clash on three fronts. For the moment, the fighting closest to Kai was Valentina's group. They were playing a deadly version of 'hide and seek' against what Kai could only assume were vampires from their deadly, fluid and inhuman movements. They were also in full tactical gear, armed and armored like a first class special ops team.

The next battle was out in the park area that the New Orleans cabal used for many outdoor functions. There, large, hulking vampires and flesh shaped war-ghouls attacked. Mike, Axe, and another figure Kai did not recognise battled them. Mike, while not going all out reckless, had at least stooped to using vulgar magic. Axe was in his half-wolf Crinos form, but he still made use of his axes. He used them to catch a war-ghoul's scythe like arms, first the left and then the right with the axe's heads. He then pulled the arms well away from his opponent's torso. The misshapen creature had less than a second to panic as it realised such a move had not deprived his foe of the ability to strike. Axe's maw stuck out and his deadly bite ripped the thing's throat clear to the spine. In an instant, his twin axes flashed back and decapitating the ghoul.

As impressive as a display as this was, it did not merit Kai's attention. He was keenly focused on the figure he did not know. He furrowed his brow and arched his eyebrow curiously. Through the distortion of the green tinged video feed, he finally realized what he was seeing. He then turned to Heather. "Is that a man wearing a costume?"

Heather looked over at Kai's screen. "Oh. No. That's Nikki's golem, Bolt-Neck. She made him when we all still lived in Los Angeles. She says what's the fun in being a Mad Scientist if you can't work with the classics? So, she made him look like Frankenstein's monster."

Kai rolled his eyes, annoyed. "It is stupid looking."

Heather shrugged.

Kai looked to the last group. Near the Cairn two humanoid Alligators were fighting alongside group of werebears. Kai was not sure which of the Mokole was the old man, Rayburn. Kai blinked in confusion when he got a good look at their foes. "Are they fighting Werewolves?"

Heather nodded. A worried look crept across her face. "Yes. Black Spiral Dancers. We're not sure HOW they got mixed up in there, but I can't let Alex's group know they're here. The Garou hate them with such a passion they might break from where they are in an effort to get to them."

Heather pointed at yet another screen. "Kai. I need you to go there. I need someone to take out their leaders. I haven't broken their encryption, but that's where their orders are coming from. All their C3 is going through there."

Kai noded. He spoke into the microphone on his headset. "Valentina! You are doing well. Others need me far more than you. Keep your wits and remember; they are powerful, skilled and experienced. You are more powerful, equally skilled and inexperienced. Their experience will not help them for they have never experienced coming against a force such as you command. Kai out."

Valentina's voice crackled over the radio. "Affirmative, Kai! Valentina out!"

Kai threw down his headset and replaced it with a mobile bluetooth device. He hurtled back down the stairs, wishing that he were light enough to slide down the hand rails. He was in a hurry as he wanted to catch some of the commanders alive. He had questions that required answers. First, however, he required equipment.

Bolting back down the hall, he came one of the armory rooms. Previously, whenever Kai had to confront the supernatural, he had been forced to adapt gear fit for other purposes or made for fighting humans. The weapons in this place were different. They were designed by Hunters and produced with the aid of magic. Not to mention they were made of top of the line quality materials. Even Kai was impressed as he picked out a shotgun-like weapon that put a metal slug into a foe. That slug then spread open like a flower after penetration ripping flesh to shreds.

Like a kid in a candy store, Kai excitedly perused the other weapons; bullets that summoned allied poltergeists to hold their target, knife-like metal blades that would periodically twirl around a central point to prevent regeneration, a beam that literally encased an opponent in ice, and, finally, grenades that would dispel magic on impact.

These were ranged weapons for the most part, however. He liked to keep some sort of melee weapon on him just in case. He had learned that decapitation will kill a vampire, but head trauma short of that would not. Despite their undead resilience, it was very hard for even vampires to cope with serious head wounds. Sometimes, such extreme wounds caused disruptions in their powers. He needed something that would inflict that sort of damage. Nothing here seemed to fill that role, so Kai gathered his cache of weapons and left.

He turned and made his way through the underground corridors that were built with impressive, but mundane means. As he ran, he began to slow, his pace becoming a jog as he snapped his fingers. He remembered seeing something in Alex's gym when he was there. Something that would fit his needs nicely. A smile crept across his face as he ran back toward the living quarters.

Kai found what he was looking for; a massive fitness hammer, a sort of over sized sledge strongmen often used to strength train. He knew it had to belong to Alex. No one else would have bothered with such a heavy thing. The piece of steel had to weigh seventy pounds at least. With his strength, Kai hefted the massive thing over his shoulder and charged on into the garage. Spying an unused quad bike gassed up and ready, he jumped on and strapped on a pair of night vision goggles before taking off into the night.

Kai navigated toward where he was needed; between Valentina's group and where Mike and Axe were fighting. He plotted a course that would look like he was trying to round behind the enemy and aid his allies, but, when his apparent course brought him closest to his true destination he made a hard turn and let his inner power flow into the machine under him a trick one of his students had discovered and taught him.

Turning and moving at a speed that should have flipped the quad, Kai shot through the darkness. Through his goggles he saw a cluster of RV sized machines. He knew he had found the right place. He leapt off the quad as a flash of motion from the left hit the machine.

Kai rolled and came up with the shotgun like expanding slug weapon, burying a pair of slugs into his quick moving foe. Kai was impressed at the damage as the slugs split open ripping flesh.

Rather than finishing that foe, Kai was forced to spin and fire on the guards who could not match the first opponent's speed. Kai buried slug after slug into strategic locations in the vampire's bodies. Kai ran out of shells before his opponent's ran out of fight.

Tossing away the depleted weapon, Kai reached for the pistols he had appropriated; one loaded with incendiary rounds the other with the poltergeist summoning ammunition. However, as he saw what was ahead of him, he changed his mind mid-motion and instead went for the ice beam. He fired it at a thick mist pouring out of the central RV. Ice quickly enveloped and subsumed the mist. Dodging attacks as he ran forward, Kai maintained the ray, building layer upon layer of ice until several feet imprisoned the transformed captive.

Grinning fiercely at the idea of having at least one captive already, Kai checked the charge on the gun. He frowned. The weapon was near depleted. He threw it down and drew his pistols, as he had originally intended.

Kai's foes circled warily. Just as they eyed Kai looking for an opening to exploit, Kai watched them for the same. However, Kai watched with more than his eyes. He concentrated, using some of his power to hone his affinity for the earth. This allowed him to feel the very footsteps, movement and pressure of his opponent's feet. The stalemate ended with Kai suddenly spinning to fire the poltergeist bullets at a figure solidifying out of the darkness behind him.

Ghostly figures materialized, assaulting the shadow traveler. Not with their hands but with mental force. Kai didn't pause to watch the show. He returned to fire at the honor guard. He had a feeling the one behind him was a leader so occasionally shot another bullet into him. The vampire's healing only helped bind the ensorceled bullet inside the Lasombra shadow-walker's body. Even if he shadowmelded away, the spirits would easily find him.

He had a feeling someone else was watching, but he had little time to search for who else was out there. His earth sense told him something or someone was moving through the earth; like a fish through water. He would need something to put in this tricky little fish's path to force him to the surface.

Using his acute affinity for the earth and soil, Kai ran toward where he felt the presence of a large amount of rock: a smooth boulder long washed down by the waters of the Louisiana delta making their way to the sea. It had become trapped for ages in the tangle of tree roots. Its top was covered with lichens and moss, deceptive as an iceberg, only a few feet of its mass were above the earth.

Kai closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply and gripped a small stone that was suspended from a chain around his neck - a stone from the Alps, near his home. He suffused his body with the strength and power of those mighty mountains. He became one with the land. The strength of the tectonic forces of the world flowed through him. His already enormous muscles tensed and flexed, ballooning with the very essence of the Earth. The stitching of his clothes began to snap as the body armor he wore struggled to contain his essence swollen form. He slammed his iron hard fingers into the stone, gripping it in his vise-like grip. He heaved upwards and, with the snapping of centuries old roots and vines, pried the gargantuan stone free from the stubborn grip of the trees. Then, with herculean effort, he hurled the giant stone it into the path of the earth swimmer. The force of his effort sent his aura of power flaring up into the night.

The earth moved and rippled with the force of the impact. A great explosion of earth ejected his target into the night air. Such was the impact, it was as if the swimmer was moving through water instead of dirt. Kai, with a speed that belied his massive size, leapt toward his target. His steel hammer flashed in the moonlight as he readied it. He struck the vampire with such force, his foe was sent flying backward into a large cypress tree. Continuing to rush at his foe, Kai turned his momentum to his advantage. He gripped his hammer in two hands and swung wide with a blow meant to crush the vampire between his hammer and trunk of the tree.

A horrid splitting noise rang out into the night air as the tree exploded unable to stand the force of such a blow. Kai rolled away to avoid the falling limbs that were now unsupported by the savaged trunk. He saw the wooden shards of the tree had ripped his opponent apart. The mobile command vehicles had toppled over and for the briefest of seconds, Kai felt something touch the ground behind one of the enemy vehicles.

Spinning, Kai raced for the fallen bus. As he did, his new adversary appeared. Magical protections glimmered around him and he began to intone some sort of incantation under his breath. It seemed as if it was meant to target the ghosts plaguing the shadow-walker. Kai ripped two grenades from his vest and tossed them in quick succession. The first blew away his opponent's layered defense spells. The second interrupted and shattered away the spell he was crafting. He had no time to panic as Kai's hammer, now slightly bent from its impact with the two hundred year old bald cypress, came down, striking him in the pelvis and shattering bone and pulverising flesh.

Three more strikes followed taking the vampire in the shoulders and torso. Kai then walked slowly and inexorably to each direly wounded foe and gave them the same treatment.

Moments after he had finished, Valentina's group arrived. She blinked, slightly unbelieving at the churned up earth and shattered trees. "_No puedo creerlo_! You finished them without us?!" She exclaimed.

"Help me get the ones that still live back to the house. We must secure them for interrogation. We will find out why they have attacked. If they have broken the deal we made with the Harbingers of the Skull, then they will pay with a hundred lives for every one they sent to attack us!" Kai said, slamming his fist into his palm.

* * *

Hours Later

Safe Rooms Under the Silbern House

* * *

The leadership of the attack had been kept separate from one another so they could not coordinate their stories. Any lies told would be cross referenced with the story others told for consistency. Kai listened to the Doc interrogating the the Lasombra shadow-walker again. The creature was bound with heavy restraints that featured faintly glowing runes.

The Doc paced around the room, his hands clasped behind his back and a cigar in his mouth. "You attacked us over a little bit of missing drug money?"

"A _little _missing money? I wouldn't call two hundred and fifty million U.S. dollars a little bit of money! We know our drugs are being sold by your pet mage Mike and his dog! We know they were here again not long ago! We know you only welcome them when you have jobs for them! The same as anyone else who hires that trash! Such a seizure could only mean you were behind the escalation of our war with the Camarilla in Texas and New Mexico. For you to deprive us of such funds and take them for yourselves could only mean you're planning a large buildup of forces; something that would require that level of funding," the Vampire spat.

The Doc took his nearly spent cigar from his mouth and exhaled. Smoke obscured his face briefly. "The problem with that is we didn't know they had that level of money. Now that we do, I'm going to go find out what they did with it." He then put his cigar out on the shoulder of the vampire who screamed in pain and frustration before he exited the room. As he closed the steel door behind him he came face to face with Kai, Terra, Valentina and the majority of the regular council of New Orleans who had gathered in the hall. They had been observing and listening to the Doc from behind a two way mirror.

"Leo, bring that slimy bastard and his lapdog down here to me!" Alex snarled. Leo nodded and bounded off, startled by the tone of Alex's voice.

Kai then stepped forward. "I am very angry with myself. I should have known Mike would not have destroyed such valuable goods. When I saw how large the tunnel was he captured, I knew something was wrong, but I could not put it into words," Kai lamented.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You were ill...near death, even. Your mind was not at its best, not with how much fighting your body was doing just to survive," Terra said soothingly.

"Those idiots! They endangered us all! Our lives and freedom and your lives and families!" Valentina said angrily, the air growing warmer around her form.

"Don't remind me! I'm having enough trouble holding the beast in as it is right now," Alex snapped.

Mike and Axe entered the hallway. Behind them came Leo and the Nikki's creation, Bolt-Neck, which stood as a mute sentry. Kai rolled his eyes at the creation again.

"What? What's the big idea dragging me down here. I'm tired you know." Mike said testily, while folding his arms confrontationally.

"Don't _what _me, boy! You know what's up. They attacked us because _you_ stole from them! You called this down on us and now you're going to pay for it," the Doc said coldly.

"Hey! We helped fight them off! This is our money by right! We earned it! We fought for it! We found the markets for the stuff! If you want to someone to complain to that we're still here with heat on our tail, well look at that guy." He pointed at Kai. "I'm only still in this town because that guy still owes me money," Mike said.

"Our deal was for five percent of the money I made taking Dr. Alani to the drop off point in Panama. I was to be paid two billion U.S. dollars. That would bring your share to one hundred million. I doubled that amount for saving my life, so I owe you two hundred million dollars. Had I known what you were doing, I would have burned those drugs. If you had not been such a greedy incompetent fool, you would know that such a large payload would invariably leave a trail right back to me, as you and I both know I do not trust you enough not to talk if pressed. You will have your money and then some. I have no further business with you. I wish no further contact with you. I will spread the word you are unprofessional and not to be trusted," Kai said gravely.

Mike's face twisted in rage. "Unprofessional!? Screw you! YOU'RE the one who botched this job, blew it off because you fucking fell in love with the mark. One big titited bitch who bats her eyes at you and smells pretty gets a bun in her oven and you fall all to pieces! That is the most ammature BULLSHIT I can think of!" He shouted.

Terra blanched and Kai's eyes widened in fury. He clenched his fist, as if he meant to strike Mike, however, before he could act, he was cut off.

"You'll want to settle down and watch the tone, little boy, or I'm going to slice you up and then cut your puppy into shreds. We didn't flee our homes just to have some childish mercenary who can't stop his dick waving ruin our refuge," the Werelion Alice said with a dangerous growl.

"You endangered all of us and our children. You knew this would draw heat, yet you did nothing to warn us because you knew you were in the wrong. You knew we'd never scantion this. You are damn lucky I have other things to worry about besides your bullshit right now," Alex said.

"You're out. Both of you. We're going to make a clean break." He turned to Linka's childe, Frederick, one of the chief accountants and monetary whiz kid of the Supernatural Community in New Orleans. "Fred, find the money. Mike's arcane nature is so strong he can't use most mortal institutions. He'll have the money somewhere close in hand. Goods worth the amount; likely gemstones. Find it and slate it for liquidation. Take two hundred million in liquid capital put it in an annuity that will pay them the interest. Put it in Axe's name. Use the identity we made him when they moved back here. Soon as that is done, see them to the border with Texas and toss them over it. If you two nitwits ever return to Louisiana, your asses are mine. I'll be sending word to the Prince of Mobile advising you be banned from his territory as well so lower Alabama and Mississippi are pretty iffy too, now get them out of my sight," the Doc barked. Frederick nodded and quickly departed.

Alex, for his part was focused on Axe. He looked at him with a mix of pity and exasperation. "Wait," he said, looking at the other werewolf.

"I've tried before and I'll try again: you can stay if you break with him. Stop supporting him. You're not pulling him out of the pit he dug his life into. Don't keep letting him pull you down with him, Axe. Join our pack. You know we're not as strict as the other werewolves. We take care of our own, like family," Alex offered.

"How could I take a place in a new family when they ask me to abandon the only man who has ever treated me as a brother?" Axe asked softly.

"He treats you as a stooge! He pulls you down to his level! Don't give me that 'you're the only light keeping him from falling into darkness' bull! You are _not _his savior. You're his enabler! If you didn't keep saving him from the consequences of his bullshit moves, he'd have died or wised up by now!" Alex said in a strained voice.

Axe just folded his arms and looked away. Alex's face turned to a frown. "The Doc is right. Get them out of my face and out of my damn city!" He said, turning his back on the pair and looking back to the others.

Nikki broke the tense silence. Her phone chimed softly. She pulled it out to look at it.

"Zeke's texted me. He has something from the other one. The one frozen in ice. He said the Serpent of Light necromancer was the one who made the deal with the Blank Spiral Dancers," Nikki said, looking at her phone.

The Doc nodded. He lead the others down the long hall to the stairs. The party went down one level to where an airtight enclosure had been warded against necromancy where the Serpent of LIght Vampire was being held. He went into the sealed chamber alone. The others would stay outside and listen to his interrogation in a similar manner as the one above. The only other person in the room, besides the vampire, was Marie Laveau, New Orleans' best necromancer. She was standing guard over the prisoner.

"So, you called the Black Spirals to help?" the Doc asked.

Marie inhaled sharply from shock. The room grew quiet and still. Then, suddenly, the vampire started laughing.

"Which one broke? Our vaunted Lasombra or the Gangrel, hmm? Yes! I called forth the spirits of corruption to serve as intermediaries between the Black Spiral Dancers and myself. I offered them payment for their help. I promised them something they wanted very, very badly and I gave them a taste of what was to come. It was enough to drive them into a frenzy, eager to aid us," the vampire bragged.

The Doc's eyes narrowed. "What did you offer them?" He asked in a worried tone. He was sure he would not like the answer.

"The blood of a wolf's child. A small girl, innocent and pure. Some of our canon fodder looking to prove themselves led the hunt for a wolf. They got lucky and killed it. Their hunt revealed its den and where it hid its progeny. I slit the child's throat and gave the blood to the Bane Spirits. I told them if the Dancers attacked along side us, they could have revenge on Alex Silbern for driving them out of New Orleans. I told them they could take his daughters back to their lairs alive to feed on, to sacrifice, or force to walk the Black Spiral. Whatever they saw fit," the vampire leered.

Outside, Leo and Kai grabbed Alex as he started to surge forward into the room. The change came over him and he started to grow as he shifted into his much larger than normal warform. Kai lamented he was on a metal floor. He was unable to call the strength of the earth to aid him.

"Do not play his game! A clean death is not what he deserves!" Kai urged his distant cousin, trying to get through his rage.

"You don't understand! They tried to kill my children!" Alex snarled, his voice clear despite his form.

"Don't I?" Kai said glancing at Terra.

Alex stopped pushing quite so hard and eyed Kai intently. A small flicker of understanding seemed to pass between the two men.

Inside the chamber, the Doc looked to the door. Even with the insulation, he could hear the muted sounds of the scuffle.

"Clam down, Alex, we'll move this piece of trash to the sun room," the Doc said.

"Burning light or the wolf's jaws? What does it matter? It will soon be over. I knew once my part was known, I was dead," the Serpent of Light said smugly.

"Did you know mirrors can transmit whatever magical properties are in sunlight that make it harm your kind when artificial illumination doesn't? I normally chain vampires out in front of our property, light up a cigar, take a nice glass of some smooth whiskey, and wait for the sun to do the work. However, for special cases, really sick bastards like you, I have the sunroom where we can reflect the sun's light into an otherwise dark room and focus it down to, say an inch wide beam. I've only had to use it three times. The record for survival was three and a half weeks. A particularly nasty Tzimisce with a habit of flesh warping children. He was an adherent to the Path of Metamorphosis yet, in the end, he called out for God to end his suffering. He called out for three solid days before he was too damaged to form coherent words. I look forward to breaking that record with you," the Doc said darkly.

Outside, Alex seethed, but he no long pushed against Kai and Leo's hold.

Heather walked over and stood in front of Alex and wrapped her arms around her massive husband's waist. "It's okay. He won't hurt them. We won't let anyone ever hurt them," she said soothingly. Alex, despite his rage clouded mind, rubbed his wife's back with his massive clawed hand. He seemed to calm down slightly.

"I want you to know that I am ashamed. I nearly brought such monsters down on your blood. Money cannot repay this debt, but you will have the share Axe and Mike were to get once our case is settled. If you ever need me, I am yours to call. Any who seek to harm those children will have not only you to contend with but myself as well. Go, comfort your daughters," Kai said, setting his jaw.

"I can't go see them like this. I need to hunt, to get the desire for blood out of my system," Alex snarled.

"Go then. I will go to them and comfort them. I will let them know their father will be with them soon," Kai offered.

Alex nodded and changed once more into his full direwolf form and dashed away. Leo transformed and followed him. Kai too left, but he headed in the direction of the house with Heather. Terra watched him leave a thoughtful look on her face.

Everyone began to go their separate ways to get some rest. The sun was beginning to rise and the vampiric prisoners were falling into the torpor that day inflicted on their kind. As Terra turned from watching Kai leave she noticed Nikki standing with Valentina at the far end of the hall. They were speaking in whispers. Nikki looked up and motioned for her to come to them. Terra sighed, not out of irritation, but exhaustion. It had been a very stressful night. She walked toward the two women. She had begun to develop a slight waddle to her gait, due her now very round belly.

"I want you to do a full medical work up on Valentina. When I tested her after the battle, she came up pregnant," Nikki requested.

Terra's eyes fluttered slightly. "I don't suppose I need to ask who the father is?"

"Don't make light of this," Valentina said in a tired voice.

"What?" Terra asked.

"Kai will be excited, but he will not be as excited as he is for you. You and your child are all he talks about. He spends much of his time with Alex's daughters, trying to learn how to be a better father. He plans his actions for the future so he can secure a place for you and your daughter. We work ourselves nearly to the bone to grow better so we can fight for the future, but it's not our future he talks about. It's yours. Yours and hers," Valentina said sadly pointing at Terra's belly.

"But, you and Kai seem so close..." Terra began.

"Close, yes. We are the closest of friends. I wish we could be more, but I have settled for what I have: a man who loves another woman. A woman who refuses to see him for what he is, only what she thinks him to be," Valentina snarled.

"What? A mercenary who was going to sell me to an unknown power? A man I bought off with sex and medical treatment? Oh, yeah. That's romantic. Let me call a caterer to plan our wedding," Terra snapped sarcastically, thinking of the sham marriage she had been forced into with Kai for public appearance sake.

"NO!" Valentina snapped, the fire in her eyes mirroring the brief flare of sparks around her form as she stamped her foot. "A man to whom honor and his word mean everything! A man who broke with both because he loved you! A man so enraptured at seeing the woman he loves heavy with his child he plans to move heaven and earth for her!" She exclaimed.

"Heaven and earth? You mean his childish, if not idiotic and dangerous dream of fighting a war if we don't win our legal case? That's a preposterous fantasy of a little boy. This is the real world! There are men with tanks, planes, missiles and chemical weapons just to name a few! We cannot win that way!" Terra said, frustration creeping into her voice.

Nikki cleared her throat. She then pulled up a video to display on her phone. In the video, Kai and Valentina were each leading half of the New Orleans Manifested. They combined their powers and blasted apart tanks and blew planes out of the sky. Each was surrounded by a field of power that incinerated, poisoned and smothered the soldiers fighting them.

Terra looked stunned. "What..what is…?"

"A pocket of compressed space I made for them to practice. The foes are only real while they are in there, but everything else follows the laws of physics. It's the same as our world, and in there is not the only place this is happening." She swapped videos. "Here is video from Africa. A girl, she manifested during one of the long running rape attacks there, she was third to do so in recent months. Notice how she wiped out several dozen soldiers mere minutes after her manifestation? Nicole Hart has proven she can break over ninety percent of all encryption in the world and so far, nothing has broken her encryption on anything she didn't want to be seen. Here is video from China. The Chinese conducted a field test with drone tanks against some of its Manifested. The Manifested won. It was no real contest. So far, four girls from North Korea have escaped either to the South or into China, who has offered universal amnesty to all Manifested who seek asylum there. The army was powerless to stop them," Nikki said.

"Our kind are not all sitting in a lab researching medical breakthroughs! They tell me you're doing impressive things, impossible things. Well, we are too. Most of us are learning how to fight. From what I have seen, if we have to, we will bring this world to its knees. Kai has been helping build the underground all over the world. Those, like Nicole, keep us in contact. We train, we prepare and we learn. Kai is one of our greatest teachers. Only a few of the Chinese Manifested have much military training. However, they are not really soldiers. As they are women, they are more clerks and attaches. There is one who is a tactical advisor, used to leading soldiers, but none of them have Kai's experience with guerrilla warfare and hand to hand combat," Valentina said with pride.

"The Eastern supernaturals tend to be chattier than most, and the Beast Courts talk to us more than they do the Garou. They see a kinship in how we do things here. Out there, they are convinced the coming of the Manifested is some sort of sign from the gods. That you are champions against a coming darkness. The Beast Courts, Tradition Mages, Kuei-Jin and others are prepared to back the Manifested if need be. They are exerting influence on the governments of the East to do the same. They have pledged, if necessary, that they will join a war effort. The whole world is poised on the brink of a supernatural war on a scale that has not been seen since the Bronze Age!" Nikki said with excitement building in her voice.

"This is terrible!" Terra said as visions of the loss of life danced in her head.

Valentina spoke up. "Kai agrees. Once, he would have relished this, but now he sees it as only a fall back option. Now, he has something in this world he wants to protect, that he wants to build a better world for. It's not me. It's YOU! It's you _and_ her!" She said sadly, patting Terra's belly.

Nikki broke in. "Mothers are terribly protective of their young, but fathers actively seek out what will harm their offspring and annihilate it. If it comes to war, it will likely be brutal and quick, but more than anything else, it will shake up everything and change EVERYTHING! The whole Technocracy might fall! The Vampire elders might awaken! That's the intoxicating part! The unknown and the unknowable! It sends chills up and down my spine!" Nikki turned to Terra and looked at her belly. "Right here is the fulcrum for change. The lever that might shift the entire universe. This helpless little thing that's not even ready live on its own. It has set into motion powers on a scale even Gods would envy. Your tiny baby has changed a man from a rudderless ship of longing into a spear of purpose aimed at the heart of destiny. Oh, little one, you're going to have trouble ever living up to the fate you've already set in motion. You're the butterfly that called the hurricane," the mage said.

Terra looked at Nikki, aghast.

"What surprises me is that he is willing to pass all of that up. He'd rather not be a world shaping leader. Not if there's a better choice for you and that child. He could literally rock the world to its foundations, but he won't. He'll call it all off if there's an easier path. So far, he's talked everyone into following suit. The greatest war that ever could be will not happen so long as you and your child have a future. The chance for all that glory, to be a name that would live beside Alexander, Julius Caesar, and Qin Shi Huang: he'll give it up for you," Valentina said ruefully.

Terra got up and walked away shaking her head. She was trapped in mad fantasy world with crazy people. In the hall she stopped and put her hand on her belly - on her daughter. The enormous events that such a little thing had set into motion nearly defied logic.


	8. Chapter 8

2012

Dark Side of the Moon, Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

"So, criminal charges were deflected to our pawns and only one had to be sacrificed. Far better than it could have been," the Form Keeper said.

"The monetary liabilities were, and still are, one of my main concerns. The Syndicate still complains at the wealth allowed to slip into these Manifested's hands. It might have been better to lose more personnel and less liquid capital," the Dissenter argued.

"The idea was batted around, however, and while financial losses might make policy makers nervous, those who carry out orders on the street are more dismayed at the idea of personally facing criminal charges. Applying pressure or control to counter upper level reluctance is easier than dealing with wider low level resistance," Claus said.

The Dissenter mulled over that idea and gave a reluctant nod of acceptance.

"It's just as well. Their increased wealth dovetailed nicely with our tracking projects. The wealthy draw attention. The more eyes on them, the easier it is for us to stay informed," Klaus continued.

"Staying informed seemed to be a recurring problem in this matter. That press leak and the fiasco in the lawyer's office was particularly...unfortunate. I expected better from our Technocratic Union," the Chief said with disappointment.

"The unknown itself was their main ally in that endeavor. We did not fully understand the extent of the Manifested's powers. This was primarily due to the disruption of the research that was, at the time, carried out at the detainment camps. In light of the camps' closure, we stressed the need for very close observation to learn as much as we could. Which, with trial and error, we have found the limits of their ability to detect our observers. We can now monitor their actions while remaining undetected," Klaus explained.

"Well, we're almost at the bitter end of these reports. Delaying won't make them any more palatable. What's done is done," the the Dissenter said as he sighed at his data pad.

* * *

December 19th, 2008

United States Court of Federal Claims, Washington D. C.

* * *

Terra sat in the witness stand. The highly polished wooden box was adorned with a brass railing that gleamed in the light of the room. She maintained a look of calm, despite her irritation. At least this lawyer, Paul Mitchum, was less aggravating than the previous one. Terra idly wondered how much he was enjoying being under investigation, his entire life under a microscope. She thought it was karmic justice. It might be the only justice that she received in these 'hallowed' halls.

"So, before you...changed...and were incarcerated, you had only just completed your medical residency?" He asked.

Terra nodded. "That's correct."

You had no established medical practice?"

"No," she shook her head.

The lawyer paced slightly. "Not to mention you have a similar liability to those with your unique...condition. You, like the others, are known to have sudden outbursts of potentially lethal power. Scientific, as well as lay observations, have equated your specific ability to a type of highly potent and toxic poison, is that correct?"

Terra nodded again. "Yes, that's true, but..."

Mitchum cut her off. "Then, how is anyone to believe your incarceration was damaging to your earning potential?"

"Any earning would be higher than zero. I was unable to pursue any research into how to harness my new powers as a source of earning," Terra said.

"What sort of guarantee do you have that you would make any kind of money with your research in such a short time? Tell me, doctor, do easily monetized medical breakthroughs often appear in the first few months of a doctor's career?" Mitchum asked.

"Well, no, but this wasn't a typical case..." Terra said before she was cut off again.

"Well, we can agree on that. I'm not sure I'd want a colleague that might explode and poison me. I think that certainly would put a damper on anyone's willingness to work with you," Mitchum said, his tone accusatory.

"I..." Terra started

"I have nothing more for this witness," he concluded.

The judge looked over at Campeggio. "Any rebuttal?"

"Yes, your honor. I know this may seem strange, but I beg the court's indulgence. I would like to hand the questioning over to my esteemed colleague and member of my co-counsel at Crane, Poole, and Schmidt, Mr. Denny Crane," Campeggio announced with a sly smile.

The presiding judge looked to his fellows. "I'll allow it."

"Objection! Your honor! This is most irregular! Mr. Crane is known to suffer from an extreme degenerative neurological disease!" Mitchum exclaimed, standing up.

"Oh, sit down Paul before you make a bigger fool of yourself," Denny said, standing up and straightening his tie.

"With all due respect, Mr. Crane, are you sure you're up to this?" The the judge asked.

"Yes. Infact, as opposing counsel has raised it as an issue, I would like to enter my personal medical record into evidence?" Denny asked.

"Your honor, aren't we well past discovery?" Mitchum asked.

"I'll allow it."

Mitchum gaped. "Your honor!"

You opened the door, counselor, when you objected to Mr. Crane's competency. I am allowing Mr. Crane's relevant medical records as evidence to prove or disprove that objection, however, I would ask if you have any thing else to enter, Mr. Crane?" the Judge asked.

"Oh, I have plenty of supporting evidence to enter as well, but first, let me question my client, here. I think both opposing counsel and myself know how this will go down after I'm through. If Paul's bosses don't see reason and want to continue this, we have no objection to taking a long break for him to catch up," Denny said with a smile.

"I'll allow it, but don't abuse this leeway, Mr. Crane."

Denny smiled and shrugged as if to say 'who, me?'

"Your honor, I must formally protest! This is an ambush, pure and simple," Paul said, his displeasure clearly building on his face.

"Your objection is noted. Continue, Mr. Crane," the Judge ordered.

"Dr. Alani, this is my medical record. You've seen it before. Can you tell me about these last few pages?" Denny asked as he handed the manilla folder to Terra.

"Yes. These pages are the documentation of my experimental treatment. The one I used that cured you of Alzheimer's disease," Terra aid matter-of-factly.

Paul Mitchum dropped his pen. He turned to look at his fellow lawyers for the United States' government. The buzz of excited murmurs and whispers filled the courtroom.

The Judge banged his gavel, calling for silence.

"Can you describe this treatment? In layman's terms," Denny asked.

"I used intense scans to target the area of the brain that was damaged by the disease. Then, using my abilities, I threaded vivifying power from my psionic aura into those areas, pushing them to regenerate and heal," Terra explained.

"Has there been any detrimental side effects to this treatment? Any unrepaired damage that you could not fix?" Denny asked.

"Detrimental? No. There have been some minor positive side effects: a general improvement in brain health, minor improvements to eyesight, hearing, taste and smell. Those might be enhanced by continued practice with the technique. No plaque remained on the brain tissue. There has been a total reversal of memory loss and complete restoration of cognitive function," Terra said.

"Does this treatment treat other conditions?" Denny asked.

"So far you are the only human to volunteer. I have tested my technique on animals to cure HIV, Hepatitis, Cancer and Mad Cow," Terra said with pride and a slight smile at the last item.

"Even Mad Cow! Well, do you expect many terminally ill patients; men and women without hope to quibble over the peculiarly of their doctor?" Denny asked.

"Objection! Dr. Alani has never been a terminal patient! Her field of study has little to no experience with them! She is not an expert with what they will and will not risk!" Mitchum interjected.

"I am very familiar with a complete lack of hope and desperation! I'm familiar with what risks one will take when confronted with such terror!" Terra said fiercely, standing up slightly in the witness box.

The Judge banged his gavel again. "That will be all, doctor. That is more the sort of question Mr. Crane should answer, if he plans to take the stand," The Judge interceded.

"Perhaps later, if need be. Back to our sweet doctor, though." He spun theatrically on his heels to face Terra again. "Dr. Alani, the government's counsel has not argued you were not unlawfully detained and deprived of liberty. The fact that you were has all been well documented. They have, however, made an issue of how much financial compensation your months of detainment requires. Tell me, does this treatment take days?" Denny asked.

"No, it takes a few hours at most, just as you experienced," Terra said.

"This treatment, obviously, requires a Manifested who has extensive medical knowledge. However, correct me if I'm wrong, but your specialization is in prenatal medical care, am I right? Not neurological diseases," Denny asked.

Yes, I specialize in gynecology and prenatal care," Terra said.

Denny continued. So, no specialization is required for a Manifested to perform this technique?"

"No, as evidence from my own practice, but an intense general medical knowledge is required," Terra admitted.

So, could you teach others this ability if they gained the basic skills and knowledge necessary?"

Terra nodded in the affirmative. "Yes."

But, so far, you're the only one who can do this. You can do it multiple times a day, but still you're the only one. All that remains is to ask how much do you plan to charge for this treatment? How much could you have made already without this delay?" Denny asked.

"How much is life worth, Mr. Crane? How much would you have paid? How much was spent treating your condition? The market would be millions and millions, Mr. Crane," Terra said.

Paul stared with his mouth slightly open before snapping it shut. "Your honor, might we have a short recess? I feel it in the best interest of all parties to see if the State and the claimant can come to an accord and, if not, I ask for additional time so that we might prepare in light of this...revelation."

"I think we'll take a long recess. The Holidays are almost upon us. Let's see if the parties can come to terms before we meet again on January 5th," the Judge ordered.

* * *

The Same Day

The Sparks Laboratory for Unconventional Sciences and Self Directed Research

New Orleans Branch

(SLUSSD-NOB)

* * *

Kai had been sulking about all day. He typically grew sullen when circumstances forced him to remain behind when Terra flew to Washington D.C. to testify. He did not like to be apart from her as her pregnancy progressed into its later stages.

In an attempt to lift his spirits, Nikki told Kai she had a surprise for him. This brought Kai over to her laboratory, a place he preferred to avoid. He was not keen on her whole 'mad scientist' schtick.

"Tadah!" Nikki exclaimed, whisking a cloth off a steel table.

"It is a hammer," Kai said flatly, clearly underwhelmed.

"Oh, is it?! It's not just a hammer! Note it's peculiarly large scale! Notice it's not constructed of any ordinary substance!" Nikki bragged.

"It is made of a newly discovered form of nephrite, one that was discovered in the Himalayan mountains. It resonates with the same elemental powers that suffuse our bodies. This white coloration resonates most closely with the Element of Earth that suffuses my body as well as yours," another voice said. It was the voice of a woman. She had the same sort of elemental markings as Kai, but her coloration was more like gray granite than Kai's sandy marble.

"Kai, this is Dr. Patel. She's an expert in physics and the fabrication of new materials," Nikki said, smiling.

"Pick up the hammer, please. Get a feel for it," Dr. Patel urged.

Kai, still slightly suspicious, did as he was requested. The hammer was just as heavy as he expected. Too heavy to use effectively in battle. He did not see the point in making something so large. He was curious if Sparks was mocking him. However, as he held the hammer in his grasp, toying with it and swinging it about, it began to grow lighter. Soon, it seemed to barely weigh what Alex's exercise hammer, the one he had been forced to replace, weighed. Experimenting further, Kai made a few more swings and found the hammer quick to respond to his every movement. It was perfectly balanced, easy to stop and overall pleasing to handle.

"This is quite extraordinary," Kai admitted.

"It is yours to use as long as you keep giving me feedback on how it performs...that and you keep working for our overall benefit," Patel said.

"I will not waste your time with false modesty by pretending to refuse this gift. This weapon will be a most welcome tool. Have you made plans to further exploit this amazing mineral?" Kai asked.

"Oh, yes! With the help of Dr. Sparks and others like her, we hope to find more of this substance. It could be the key to building the tools and weapons we need to arm ourselves. We think this might just be the tip of the iceberg," Patel said with a large smile.

"I have no doubt we could win without them against any force the world could throw at us. With these tools, however, we could challenge powers that toy with the world like a child plays with a doll," Kai said with a predatory smile.

Patel smiled in return. Nikki, meanwhile, grinned with a manic gleam in her eye. It was the look of some who had seen the future open up and change its course right before their eyes.

* * *

Hours Later

Conference Room in the Justice Department.

* * *

Paul Mitchum looked across at the team of lawyers that had assembled across the table. Terra Alani was not there. That was not a good sign. The client, sometimes, could be dazzled by numbers. Many were not aware of the level of compensation that was common in such cases. Legal staff, on the other hand, who drew a percentage of that total for payment, seldom were caught so unawares. He looked from side to side at his own legal team before continuing.

"Our initial offer," Paul said simply. He slid a folded piece of paper across the table.

Campeggio glanced at the paper before speaking. "If you're going to be unrealistic, Paul, just leave. The Manifested in this country number over nine-hundred. Your offer would parse out less than a half million dollars to each one. We both know you're on the line for quite a bit more than that. Twenty times that would have been insulting. This is ludicrous to the point of being surreal."

"Well, then how about forty times that? $20 million each should make up for their losses and be punitive," Paul said in a hopeful tone.

"No." The simple term slapped Paul Mitchum across the face like a glove.

Campeggio continued. " You see, you walked in here and insulted the Manifested with this paltry offer. You did this, despite knowing full well what had been done to them. However, in addition to insulting them, you made an even graver mistake: you insulted _ME_."

"They are still trying to take advantage of these people Ed, that's the worse part," Shirley Schmidt said.

"No, the worst part is they've played dirty pool this whole time. They tried to have me vanish down some black ops hole, Shirley. It means not only are they not sorry for what they did, it means they haven't even come close to learning their lesson. Cover up, use of force, intimidation tactics, these are still their Plan A. That ticks me the hell off! That you've learned nothing from this process and that you have not been humbled by your own stupidity makes me angry. That this has not made you look back into the mirror for a good long stare is shameful. No, Shirley, their insults to me are worse because they outline an underlying sickness in their mindset," Campeggio explained with iron in his voice.

"What do you want? I settle financial claims. I'm not a policy maker. I don't have the authority to change the system," Mitchum said.

"I want you to cry, Mr. Mitchum. I want you to leave this room knowing that when you return to your superiors, your career is over. More importantly, though, I want your bosses to repent their actions. I want to hear their laments and recriminations. I want them to say to themselves; _We should have never done this!_ However, I doubt they're the sort to ever admit mistakes. As such, if I can't have true repentance, I want them to feel remorse because they fear the consequences of their actions...the punishment that is to follow. They've shown a complete lack of respect for the law and that is intolerable. They must be punished. Among the greatest punishment in our society, at least for bureaucrats and billionaires, is loss of capital. I want your government superiors to look at the amount of money on the table and I want them to weep. If the law can't have their respect, I will see to it that they fear it. The law rules us all, and the fear of that which rules you will do if one can't muster the decency to respect it," Campeggio said, his eyes hard and unblinking as he spoke.

Paul looked across the table in shock. Passionate belief was not what he was used to dealing with. Jaded greed and self interest were the order of the day in his world. His shock started to give way to fear. Belief was dangerous. People would do much for greed, but it was limited by their self interest. People would do things that were downright self destructive for belief.

"How much?" His voice was unsteady and his throat dry.

"Based on other cases; $30 to $50 million for each plaintiff would be considered a fair amount. Had you come to me with an offer of $50 billion, I would have known you were at least serious. I would have negotiated in good faith and we would have likely come to an agreement for a sum three or four times that amount. Taking into account the absolute lack of remorse your offer demonstrates, however, we are not doing that. You can add a zero to that amount and that, Mr. Mitchum, is where we'll begin. If you can't handle that, if you can't negotiate for sums of such a level, then leave. Bring out the wizard from behind the curtain and let's get started for real."

Paul Mitchum's face drained of blood. "You can't be serious! That would be more than twice the size of the largest settlement in us history!"

"Ahh, yes. The tobacco companies. They lied, cheated and deceived the American public as well. They also showed no remorse. I see certain parallels. The settlements in those cases gave those companies pause. It cut though their insulation and made them feel the chill of fear. The Federal Government has a much larger budget, so I think it will take a larger sum to make them stand up and take notice. Thank you for bringing that up. However, you and I both know that, despite their wrong doing, they were companies...businesses. It's expected that they would make greed and self interest paramount. It's _almost _forgivable. Their executives swore no oaths to protect the populace. You're right, Mr. Mitchum, I should indeed ask for far more for this level of betrayal," Campeggio speculated,

Paul began to sweat. He was ordered to end this today. He had been told to reach a settlement no matter what. He doubted the men who gave such an order had any idea just how wrong they were about this entire situation. The fallout from this would bring some at the highest echelons of power teetering on the edge of ruin. Inside, he felt the first stab of fear. As he looked into Campeggio's predatory smile, he knew the man had already won.

* * *

Dec 21st, 2008

Alanni-Silbern House, New Orleans

* * *

Terra was still in a daze as she roamed the halls of her house in New Orleans. She'd spent the entire flight back trying to process the staggering amount of money she was now owed...that they all were owed. She was looking for Kai to share the news of their victory. She found him in the nursery he had been building. Once there, her eyes were gifted with an amusing sight: Alex was apparently correcting the finer points of Kai's diapering technique. He was practicing on Alex's infant daughter, who seemed more curious than upset at being diapered over and over again. Terra quickly ducked her head back out into the hall. She listened from just outside the door.

"I have mastered this skill!" Kai said arrogantly as he gently picked up the tiny girl in his huge hands and tickled her belly. The child gurgled happily at him.

"Don't get too full of yourself. You've only diapered girls. It's the boys who will pee on you. Not that I have any experience with diapering them though," Alex said.

"Yes, that is quite odd. One would think that, by sheer chance alone, you would have had a son by now," Kai replied with a shrug as he put the infant girl back down on the changing table.

"I wanted a boy, but when our second girl came, I was ready to write it off and just raise my girls. I even offered to get a vasectomy. Heather wouldn't hear of it. She wants a boy. I think she's a bit manic about it, sometimes. It's her body that's got to deal with the radical changes. If she wants to keep having children, I mean, it's not like we're hurting for money and I like taking care of them. I just hope she's not trying too hard for something she thinks I want," Alex said, pondering.

"Valentina is having a boy. It makes no difference to me. Son or daughter, they will be an equal challenge. From what I have seen of your girls, every child has its own difficulties and its own learning curve. It is high stakes. Like combat, lives are on the line, missteps are difficult to correct and more so the results must be lived with by both sides. In that way, combat is cleaner. Death is a simple thing. Life is what is hard," Kai said.

Terra rolled her eyes in an amused fashion. He had a way of making almost everything sound like a Wagnerian opera.

"The simplest death is nothing. It's life that will kill you," Alex said.

Terra shook her head to make sure she was hearing correctly. Here were two inordinately large and giant men. Each one bulging with muscles that would make He-Man envious. Each one seven and a half feet tall; together, they had to weigh over a thousand pounds. Each one strong enough to crush a man's skull in one hand and bend a steel bar with the other. Each one so apt at dealing out death, were talking together about the difficulty of tending life. She allowed herself a slight smile before she stepped forward into the room.

Alex looked up. "Hey, Terra! How did court go? Everyone's been hush hush."

"We won! We won beyond our wildest dreams! It's not just money! They agreed that after six weeks of practice and no uncontrolled flares of power, a Manifested is free of being considered a threat to public safety! While waiting for that control to develop, any remote location with a controlled access can be certified as a training location. Access will be allowed to any informed individuals who sign a waiver. We can set up our own training sites! The ones the government run will be constantly under the public eye," Terra said, smiling.

"But, there was money, right? 'Cause Kai was going to pay me $200 million instead of the two morons," Alex said with a wink.

"One trillion dollars, payable over fifty years," Terra said, barely constraining her joy.

Alex sat down a little too quickly on a bench in the nursery in shock. The wood groaned in protest at his bulk being thrust upon it so suddenly. "A _trillion_? With a T?"

"You were right. Mr. Campeggio is a good lawyer," Kai said approvingly. Even he seemed slightly nonplussed by the tremendous sum of money.

"That pays all of us that came through this one billion dollars each! It's more than compensation. It's an investment in our future! We can afford to help and pay those who are still exploring and experimenting with their powers. We can provide funds to research and develop amazing techniques using our talents. Each incredible discovery will bring in money from our investments. With money like that, Campeggio figures we'll become a powerful lobby for ourselves; a force that can insure the politicians don't turn on us again," Terra explained.

"This is good. This will prevent us being forced into war. We can build. We can grow. We can train our children for the future. When whatever forces come against us rise up, we can knock them down again," Kai said, nodding.

"Of course, Campeggio gets his cut. According to our contract the lawyers get 33% of what we've made. Camaggio himself gets 24%. Chang, Poole and Schmidt get there remaining 9%," Terra explained.

Kai arched an eyebrow. "A high price. He is now a billionaire. I cannot say he did not earn it."

Alex stood up, composing himself. "Well, you can go anywhere and do anything, but take your time. Stay and plan out what you want to do," he counseled.

"If you wish now that the trials are over I will find somewhere else to stay." Kai offered

"No! I have grown rather fond of you being around, Kai. Besides, I think our daughter will like having her father close at hand," Terra said.

Kai blinked in surprise and nodded.

"Anything else you need just let me know," Alex offered.

Terra nodded. "We will. Infact, I want you to help me, please, Alex. I would like to make contact with some people. Some old friends of yours from California."

* * *

February 2nd, 2009

Offices of Chang, Poole and Schmidt

Boston, Massachusetts

* * *

Edmond Campeggio strode through the office with a spring in his step. He strode right into the new management office and smiled at the two men present.

Hyung Lee and Zhu Chang both looked up.

"Ahh, Mr. Campeggio! How might we help you today? Did you have more business related to the Manifested case?" Hyung Lee asked.

Campeggio composed himself, then in slightly accented Mandarin, made his offer. "Mr. Chang, our business with the Manifested case is at an end. I am here to inform you that I have bought out over seventy percent of your existing debt from your creditors. I would very much like to settle these debts immediately."

Chang regarded the young lawyer with a tired look. He replied back in Mandarin. "Running this company has, in the short time I have held it, proven to be a trial. The egos of the partners involved, the difference in customs, the ever present insanity, all have ground on my nerves. In addition, I was contacted by the Chinese government and several influential individuals and encouraged to find a way to sell this company to you. I fear you will not enjoy running it, young man, but you may have it. I have the papers already drawn up to sell."

Campeggio looked slightly put out. He was spoiling for a legal strangling match. "Really? I was expecting... something more climatic. Something harder."

Chang nodded somberly. "Close the door please and have a seat."

Campeggio nodded, closed the door to the office and took a seat at the table.

"You do not know what you have done to your life. You have broken through the thin veil that separates our world from the Shadow World," Chang said.

That really grabbed Campeggio's attention. He has not expected this at all. He did not like being surprised, but this was something different.

"Now, you are a part of their game and normal men do not last long in the games of the Shadow World. They know you. They see you. Now, they will not leave you alone. I will not be dragged down into the shadows. For me, this is not a challenge lost. It is an escape door. I shall, of course, make a sizable profit in selling this madhouse of a law firm to you. Perhaps you will take the inmates down with you when this all goes awry," Chang said with resignation.

Campeggio smiled. "Perhaps, Mr. Chang, but perhaps the shadows will find I am more than an ordinary man? I am a billionaire, a genius and a wizard with the law. What I invest into this company is more than money: it's my friendship with the Manifested. They will face legal challenges a plenty. They won the big fight, but now they will face a thousand stings as others try to cut and scrape away at what they have won a piece at a time. They will stand with me against the shadows and together we will prevail."

Chang sighed, lamenting the foolish bravado of this young man. He wondered if that bravado would get Campeggio killed.

* * *

February 13th, 2009

Psionic Services Incorporated Compound

South of San Francisco, California

* * *

The lanky Barry Wilks didn't look like a werewolf. Barry looked more like a Harvard professor, but as in all things, looks were deceiving. In alliance with Sparks Industries, Vital Fluids Pharmaceuticals, Grove Projections, Insights Consultations as well as RS Development, the Glass Walker side project to grow human interest in psionic and spiritual techniques and technology that was uncorrupted by darker spirits had taken off. No longer was it the recipient of funding from Glass Walker green technology firms. It had become the funder of such efforts.

"So, Dr. Alani, as you can see, they're going to start breaking ground on your new buildings very soon. The Manifested division of Pionic Services will be built in no time, particularly given how many of your own are aiding in the construction process," Barry explained.

The two sat in a golf cart, touring the grounds of the Psionic Services Compound. It was faster, and Barry figured it would be much easier on Terra. She was very heavily pregnant. She was not a tall woman, and her now enormous belly dominated her small frame. She had pointed out, humorously, that it was quite obvious that she was carrying Kai's child from its sheer size. Despite this, however, she still had felt no severe side effects. No joint swelling and, despite their engorged size, her breasts were not sore. She occasionally felt mild fatigue and had an increased appetite...that and a very pronounced waddle to her gait, but that was about it.

"This is a dream come true! With so many of us joining together, we can find out so many things and discover so much about ourselves and our powers," Terra said excitedly.

"Well, we have already discovered something. We thought the coincidence that Alex was related to Kai was slightly odd. We noticed a few other Manifested had relatives amongst were-kindred. We sent out a call for family histories and medical records. We found there are a significant number of relations, even if they are distant relations, between the werewolves and the Manifested. We expect that number to rise when some of the other Fera start sending us information as well," Barry said, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Now, that _is_ very interesting," Terra admitted.

"We've been building some very extensive genetic databases. We've even invested in some websites that help with family tree research. But, really, that was all just to help find any lost branches of were-kin that could be used to help invigorate our bloodlines. Now that we know there is some overlap between our two groups, perhaps, we should complete a master index of Manifested bloodlines and then cross reference them," Barry suggested.

"That would be useful. I have a feeling there might be some hidden links between us that we're unaware. That might turn up some useful information. Even if it doesn't it, will be something we can trade for like information. I'm sure that there are others that are less willing to share and be altruistic with their information without a return on their investment," Terra said.

Barry continued the tour, driving the golf cart and gesturing at some new construction or proposed site of a future building. As he did, he noticed a look of discomfort repeatedly washing over Terra's face. "Is something wrong? Something not to your liking?"

"No. No, it's not that. The baby's been kicking me all day and now I'm having contractions. They're getting closer and not subsiding. I think this might not be a false alarm. I think I might be going into labor. Still, my water hasn't broken so... I could be wrong," Terra admitted

"Labor!" Barry said in a panic. He turned the wheel of the cart and spun around, heading to the on staff medical office.

"It's nothing to panic over, Mr. Wilks! Women give birth every day," Terra said, chiding him slightly.

"You're not just any woman and this is not just any birth! Hold on! We're going indoors with this! I'll drive you right up to the front desk!" Barry said, slamming down the pedal sending the small cart to its impressive top speed of 25 miles an hour.

With an cry of surprise, Terra did just that and held on as best she could.

* * *

February 14th, 2009

Psionic Services Medical Labs

* * *

Kai sat, holding the tiny life that had just emerged. He had shooed off all the nurses, doctors and medical staff. He sat and rocked his little daughter.

Terra awakened from sleep. She sat and watched Kai for a while. He was whispering to the child very softly in German. Terra realized he was singing a lullaby.

"Is it still the 14th?" she asked finally as he finished.

Kai looked up at her. "Yes. You slept quite a while. Bringing this little one into the world was hard work."

"Hard, but rewarding. We missed our dinner," Terra lamented.

"There will be other dinners," Kai said dismissively

"I was going to tell you something tonight. I planned on it being under a different setting, but I realize, perhaps, this is better. We didn't get off to the best start, but I have come to appreciate the loyalty you display and your devotion to your word. I realized that when you swore your oath to me in our marriage of convenience, you meant the words. I've met a lot of men and even a few women who didn't want a partnership; they wanted to own me. A fear of being owned has haunted me since I was a teenager. So, as you can imagine, our initial adventures struck the wrong chord. Now, I realize, you want what I want: someone to depend on. Love is not something crafted in a night. It's something you build, temper and test in time. This is what we've crafted. Together, we have built a future. I love you, Kai Silbern, as I think you still love me," Terra said.

Kai sat mouth open in shock. "I do love you, Terra Alani. I had despaired and come to terms with thinking that I would never hear those words in return from you. Now that I have heard them, I do not know what to say, except that I hope that this is not the drugs talking for you."

Terra playfully threw a pillow at him, missing on purpose as he still held the baby.

"I think we've both said enough, now stop hogging our daughter. Give me little Summer Rain," Terra said.

Kai frowned. "I am still not crazy about the name, even if I do love you," he said with a smile as he gently handed the baby girl over to her mother to hold.

* * *

2012

Dark Side of the Moon, Technocratic Order Lunar Base

* * *

"After the first major incident involving a Manifested caused a substantial amount of property damage, a ruling came down in the United States ordering that each Manifested maintain a multi-million dollar insurance liability policy. Those policies require a current name and address as well as other pertinent information. Any time they interact with the government, they can be made to show their proof of such insurance. They are all registered for contact by the military in case of a military emergency. These practices were picked up by nations across the globe," the Chief said.

"So, they tell us where they are and render back some of the funds we forfeited," the Dissenter said.

"More than that, the number of Manifested has finally stabilized at one hundred thousand. There are many who came into their powers after the Alani-Silbern legal settlement was arranged. As such, they were not included in the claim. The nations of the world now struggle to control more of the Manifested than their rivals. This has caused a wave of Manifested resettlement in the United States as it offers more than most for those who wish to immigrate both in the public and private sector. The more recent Manifested, due to the new law, have to work in places able to provide that level of insurance. These are places over which we have deep influence, direct control or we have spies in place that keep them under constant observation," Claus said.

"They still have far too much freedom and continually push back against the measures you have put in place to constrain them. If the vote does not go the way we want when the Senate convenes, the executive orders and bench rulings you are using could be overturned. If they are, we will fail," the Dissenter noted.

"That is where we strike the weakest link. The American Manifested have continued to rely on this legal genius, Campeggio, but he is just a man. His father and grandfather died young of heart disease. It would not draw too much attention if such a man, one with a highly stressful life, were to die on the verge of his speech to the Senate," Claus said in a speculative tone.

"Oh, so I see. Do you need an agent to insure this assassination comes off?" the Chief inquired.

"Yes. The Manifested cluster close around him. Only the best agent will do. I request the Alpha Unit, the agent imbued with one of the power cores we found in the depths of Autochthonia," Klaus said, making a formal request of the Council.

"We cannot allow that," the Dissenter said.

"The Mechanical Manifestation, the Alpha Unit, is powerful enough to match anything the Elemental Manifested can toss at it. Perhaps it could be of use here," the Form Keeper said, speculating.

"No. I think this is the wrong mission for the Alpha Unit. He, on the other hand, might be able to help you," the Chief said nodding at something behind Klaus.

Klaus turned to find behind him a figure in full body metallic armor with a chromatic sheen that played across its form. There was a glowing oval stone in the middle of its helm just above the reflective visor covering its eyes.

"So, we've figured out how to create more? I thought every attempt to replicate the creation of the Alpha Unite had failed?" Claus said, nodding in approval.

"Like all technology, time wins out over such impediments. We learned that the problems plaguing our progress involved the weakness of the inner strength of the flash cloned agents we had been attempting to use for the imbuement process. Alpha Unit survived because he was a fluke. He possessed far more inner strength then the run-of-the-mill clone. Now that we know better, we have been searching our ranks for unenlightened who can benefit from these Power Cores. With just over a thousand at our disposal, they will not be numerous as the Elemental Manifested. They will be out numbered nearly one hundred to one, but they will be a mighty and unexpected addition to the forces of our Technocratic Union," the Chief said, nodding.

Claus Rayner gave an earnest smile of borne of hope. It seemed things were once again turning in the Order's favor.

**The End**

* * *

**Next up:** Mister Campeggio goes to Washington

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